240 Management and Treatment of the Horse. 



directed between the skin and muscles, its course 

 being favoured by the pulling out of the skin by 

 the left hand in front of the point of the instru- 

 ment. It is usually carried from a point above 

 downward to permit of a free discharge of the 

 matter, and when carried far enough a fresh 

 incision is made with the lancet to allow of its 

 exit. This is preferable to penetrating the skin 

 simply with a sharp needle, as the wounds thus 

 made are often so small that the pus cannot escape 

 freely, and becoming imprisoned produce a source 

 of irritation. The seton having been introduced, 

 it is necessary to fix it by some means ; the most 

 common way of doing this is to tie both ends 

 together, but this is objectionable, as the animal 

 may by rubbing get the loop fast and tear it out, 

 leaving an ugly tear. The best way is to make 

 a large knot at each end of the tape, which should 

 be about four inches longer than the wound on 

 each end, so that the matter can be worked out 

 by pulling the cord up and down. In spavin 

 and various other forms of lameness they are at 

 times employed with great benefit in the neigh- 

 bourhood of the malady. Their effect is some- 

 times increased by smearing the seton with an 

 irritant such as a preparation of Hack hellebore., 

 turpentine^ iodine^ euphorhium^ etc. A peculiar- 

 system sometimes employed successfully in spavin 

 is the introduction of a thread, medicated in this 

 way, deeply into the soft parts over the seat of 

 the bony tumour. This is chiefly recommended 

 by the fact that if well managed it leaves no 

 blemish marks on the hock. 



