OF VETERINARY ^lEDICIXE. 47 



Operation. — Put the horse on the table or lay him clown, using 

 a soft cushion under his head with a strong man to help hold 

 him.. Cut out a circular piece of skin opposite the fourth molar 

 tooth, making the opening large enough to insert the instrument. 

 Cut away the cellular tissues so as to expose the bone. Then 

 bore through and withdraw the instrument and cut out the mu- 

 cous membrane. In a long-standing case the pus will be very 

 thick, so thick that it may have to be spooned out. Do not try to 

 get all the pus out. Syringe the sinus well; the air and water 

 will soften the mass so that in 60 to 72 hours the pus will come 

 out easily. After the operation syringe out the cavity with a 

 mild solution such as previously mentioned, and repeat night and 

 morning. Hang an apron over the horse's head to cover the 

 opening, and leave the hole open. The air will do as much to 

 effect good healing as anything that could be applied. Some prac- 

 titioners use a cob to stop up the opening, and corks are also 

 used, but the wound should be left open. Nine times out of ten 

 a case will yield to this treatment. After about three weeks, it 

 will not be necessary to use the syringe longer, as the mass will 

 have become so soft that it can easily be removed. The first 

 two weeks, syringe out once every day; thence once every three 

 days. Too much washing maintains a discharge. Nature will do 

 better than local applications. 



If you meet with a case that has been running a year or 

 longer, the treatment may fail. There are many cases in which 

 the mucous membrane is entirely gone as the result of absorption. 

 Keep the horse on iron all through the treatment; it helps ma- 

 terially to arrest suppuration. 



This operation is simple and usually satisfactory. Bear in 

 mind that the fetid breath is a symptom of chronic nasal dis- 

 charge. When this condition is present, always examine the teeth 

 to see that they are not decayed. If you find a decayed molar, 

 remove it first; but if the mouth is sound, get after the nasal 

 catarrh. It is very easy to mistake this condition for glanders. 



In removing a tooth, two things are to be guarded against, 

 the cutting of the blood vessels and also of the nerves that sup- 

 ply the roots of the molars. Work above these and do not dis- 



