8,6 DISEASES OF THE TEETH. 



of a seton through it, have been equally ineffectual. M. Mac- 

 crops is accordingly of opinion that in this case a third 

 tumour of a similar kind is in progress of formation. 



" A remarkable feature in these cases is, that the subjects 

 are all young animals, and during the period of dentition. 

 This can easily be understood; another circumstance, how- 

 ever, is not so easily explained, the tumours have all been on 

 the right side. This, if possessed of no definite cause, must 

 be looked on as at least a remarkable coincidence. 



" M. Macrops has also found them invariably directed up- 

 ward toward the poll, so that he looks on them as resulting 

 from a sort of reversing of the embryo tooth. 



" In the April number of this Journal there is a description 

 of a similar case, operated on by M. Tyvaert, Government 

 veterinary surgeon at Mechlin. His subject was eight 

 months old, and had been treated for three months by an 

 empiric without effect. In this case there was a fluctuating 

 tumour, containing a quantity of whitish liquid, on the 

 opening of which the dental tumour was exposed. It was 

 first loosened with a hammer, and rogne pied, after which it 

 was easily extracted by strong pincers. The walls of the 

 sinus were then cauterised with a hot iron, and speedily 

 healed up." 



The importance of this subject to the rearer of young 

 horses cannot be overrated, and I have a case in my own 

 practice which proves how necessary it is to understand the 

 nature of many apparently simple disorders. During the 

 year 1859, Mr A C. Muir, veterinary surgeon then at Auch- 

 termuchty, consulted me about a case in a three-year-old 

 colt, nearly thorough-bred, which had a deep fistula over the 

 forehead on the right side. The fistula had been slit up, but 

 was so deep that Mr Muir hesitated to cut lest the joint 

 should be opened. The disease was believed to be due to 



