THE HORSE IN SICKNESS AND DISEASE 427 



but in old animals they are often perfected, and will not 

 only grow no bigger, but often decrease, and become 

 partially absorbed. The bones locked together by exostosis 

 never become loosed, though the swelling may disappear. 

 As a general rule, we would say, when spavin does not 

 produce lameness, let it alone. However unsightly, do not 

 risk setting up a new action where the disease is quiescent. 



The Treatonent of bog-spavin may be briefly given in the 

 words of Youatt, to which we will append the shrewd and 

 lively observations of Mr. Mayhew : " Uniform pressure 

 will sometimes cause the absorption of the fluid contained 

 in cysts or bags like these, but in a joint of such extensive 

 motion as the hock, it is difficult, or almost impossible, to 

 confine the pressure on the precise spot where it is required, 

 and could it be made to bear on the enlarged bag it would 

 likewise press on the vein, and to a great degree hinder the 

 passage of the blood, and increase the dilatation below the 

 obstruction. The old and absurd method of passing a liga- 

 ture above and below the enlarged portion of the vein, and 

 then dissecting out the tumour, is not, in the advanced stage 

 of veterinary science, practised by any surgeon who has a 

 regard to his reputation. The only method of relief which 

 holds out any promise, even of a temporary success, is by 

 exciting a great deal of inflammation on the skin, and thus 

 rousing the deeper-seated absorbents to carry away the 

 fluid eff'used in the enlarged bag. Repeated blisters, then, 

 will afford the fairest prospect of removing the tumour ; or 

 firing may be tried. But in the majority of cases the disease 

 will bid defiance to all our means, or will return and baffle 

 our hopes when we had seemed to have been accomplishing 

 our object." 



Mayhew's advice is worth the space we here give as a 

 contrast of the " diflference of doctors." He says : *' The 

 regular treatment is to purge, give diuretics, bleed, blister, 

 rowel, seton, periosteotomy, neurotomy, fire, and punch. 

 The bleeding may be great or small, local or general ; the 

 blister, mild or severe, applied over half the joint at a time, 

 or rubbed in after the limb has been scored by the iron. 

 Rowels and setons may also be simple, or they may be 

 smeared with irritants, which are made of different 

 strengths. Periosteotomy may be single, or may be made 

 compound by the addition of a seton and a blister. Neuro- 

 tomy is very unsatisfactory, and very often a most tedious 



