CANCER FUNGUS HJEMATODES. 99 



internally, to run, and for breeding purposes should be carefully 

 avoided, since the disease is no doubt hereditary. In the early 

 stage cancer shows itself by one or more lumps, as hard as marbles, 

 and generally more or less nodulated. Sometimes these little 

 tumours feel no larger than peas, and occasionally are clustered 

 together. As long as they remain quiescent, and do not rapidly 

 enlarge, the best thing to be done is to leave them alone, and 

 use the bitch for running, if her constitutional state will permit 

 it. This is often the case ; for the poison as often shows itself 

 first outside as in, and so long as the vital organs are not impli- 

 cated, training may be carried on with success, and the bitch 

 is able to go through sufficiently severe work to enable her to 

 win a stake. But when the tumours begin to enlarge rapidly, 

 it is better to destroy the animal at once. If removal by the 

 knife is ever of service, it is in the very early stage, while the 

 tumours are still hard, and are not yet inflamed or tender ; but, 

 as the only object can be to get as much out of the animal as 

 possible, I am satisfied that it is far better to get what you 

 can at once, and then to destroy her. If, on the other hand, 

 you attempt to remove the disease, you are obliged to lower the 

 bitch by preparatory physic, and then keep her out of work whilst 

 the sore occasioned by the knife is healing. Much precious time 

 is thus lost, and when you do begin to train again, the chances 

 are that the internal mischief has been in the meantime set up, 

 and that you will find all power of standing work for ever gone. 



FUNGUS ILEMATODES is another malignant disease which is 

 perfectly incurable, and even if the tumour is removed by the 



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