Cancers and Tumors 171 



Cancer 



True cancers are not common to animals, although 

 malignant sores are sometimes found that do not yield 

 readily to the ordinary methods of treatment. When 

 such sores occur, it is necessary to treat them according 

 to their individual peculiarity as regards form, location 

 and size. If feasible, it is usually the best plan to 

 remove the diseased part by surgical means and to 

 treat the case afterward as a simple wound. When 

 this is not possible, the part may be poulticed for a 

 day or two, then the diseased portion destroyed by 

 means of a caustic, such as chlorid of antimony, applied 

 with a swab, with after-treatment as for a simple 

 wound. It is not a good plan to use strong caustics 

 frequently on wounds, as the caustic destroys the ten- 

 der healing tissue and often produces a dense, fibrous 

 growth that is extremely difficult to remove or to heal. 



Tumors 



Tumors are abnormal growths of tissue. There are 

 many kinds, usually named from the kind of tissue of 

 which the}' are composed, as fibrous and fatty tumors. 

 In white or gray iiorses there are often found melanotic 

 tumors, composed of coloring matter, usuallj' located in 

 the skin in the region of the neck, urino- genital organs, 

 or tail. Warts are tumors of the skin. Sore tumors, 

 that tend to spread and do not yield to treatment, are 

 known as malignant tumors. 



The true cause of the growth of most tumors is 

 not known. Sometimes fibrous tumors are caused by 



