RESOLVENTS— ROWELLIXG. 1 53 



tlie rowel is put in, the hole in the mid- 

 dle of the leather is plugged up with a little 

 tow. 



In this situ ition it is left until matter forms, 

 which generally happens in two or three 

 days; the plug of to.v is then withdrawn, 

 and the matter suffered «o flow out, in which 

 stat3 it remains as long as is thought neces- 

 sary. Thus we se-e that a rowel is an ariifi- 

 ciai ahscess, theleah.'r first ciuslng injiam' 

 mafin, whirh ends in suppuration or the 

 for.nation of matter; ana the matter con- 

 tinues to he fora.eJ as long as the extraneous 

 body of leather renrdns under the skin. 



The intension of rowellinsfis to divert in- 

 flam nation from any important organ or 

 pi^rt of the body. Thus, wh.Mi the lungs 

 are inflamed, the animal certainly dies, un- 

 less it is put a stop to; but the skin may be 

 inflamed to a (considerable extent without 

 danger, we therefore put a rowel m the 

 chest, which, though not sufficient of itself 

 to stop the inflammation of the lungs, con- 

 tributes very materially to it, and with the 

 other necessary remedies often effects a 

 cure. In large swellings of the hind legs 



H5 



