dogs: their management. 343 



A polypus is smooth, glistening, and on its surface 

 generally exhibits vessels. Its covering is always tense, 

 and contains a semi-solid substance ; it is often sensitive, 

 and, if the space allows of the passage of the finger, the 

 neck or point of attachment can be felt ; it cannot, like 

 the womb, or the bladder when inverted, be forced in- 

 ward, or made to take the situation which either of them 

 would occupy. 



Moreover, the appearance of a polypus is an affair 

 which must have attracted notice some months prior 

 to its occurrence ; whereas, the inversion of the bladder 

 or the womb, occupies but an instant, and is commonly 

 preceded by no symptoms. 



Being assured there is a polypus, if a fine silk can be 

 passed round the neck or stalk and be tied tight, so as to 

 cut off the circulation of blood to the part, the growth 

 will drop off in two days, supposing the operation to 

 have been effectively performed. When a ligature can- 

 not be applied, the body should be seized with a proper 

 pair of forceps, and it should then be turned round and 

 round several times. The object in doing this is to twist 

 the stalk, so as to strangulate the vessels within it ; and 

 this sometimes answers quite as well as the ligature 

 itself, but the last is best, as being more sure and less 

 likely to be attended with accident. When neither can 

 be accomplished, the polypus may be forcibly dragged 

 away, or literally torn out ; but the pain of this is very 

 great, and the operation has nothing to recommend it but 

 its absolute necessity. 



