242 DISEASES OF THE HORSE'S FOOT 



pus scattered more or less throughout the growth indicate 

 its true nature. 



Pain as a rule is absent, and, unless the growth, on 

 account of its size, interferes with progress, the animal 

 walks perfectly sound. Here the patient may, without 

 offending the dictates of humanity, be put to slow work. 



Treatment. — In very many cases, possibly on account of 

 the decreased circulation and vitality of the parts, these 

 growths occur in aged animals. Here treatment is not 

 economic, and may for that reason be put out of the ques- 

 tion. Further, the growths are more common in heavy 

 cart animals of a lymphatic type than in those of a lighter 

 breed. Couple this with the fact that the tumour is often 

 unattended with pain, and we see that the animal is still 

 able to perform his accustomed labour. Here, again, 

 treatment is contraindicated. 



For still another reason surgical treatment, which is the 

 only treatment likely to be of benefit, must not be under- 

 taken rashly. A large and open wound is bound to be left 

 behind. So large is it in many cases that the complete cov- 

 ering of the exposed surface with epidermal growths from 

 the circumference cannot possibly be looked for. There is 

 then left a large and horny-looking scar, which is an even 

 worse eyesore than was the original enlargement. 



When the patient is a young and otherwise valuable 

 animal, however, and when the case, judged either by the 

 size of the swelling or its outside appearance, promises a 

 fair measure of success, operative measures may be de- 

 termined on. 



In this case the author's practice has been, after casting 

 the animal, to apply a tourniquet to the limb and proceed 

 to excision. A lozenge-shaped incision, extending to near 

 but not quite the circumference of the swelling, should be 

 made with a large knife right through the skin and deeply 

 into the growth. The whole is then removed, proceeding 

 in an excavating manner under the thickened skin at the 

 margin. Haemorrhage, though proceeding from several 

 apparently large vessels in the structure of the tumor, 



