242 DISEASES OF THE HORSE’S FOOT 
pus scattered more or less throughout the growth indicate 
its true nature. 2 
*~Pain as a rule is absent, and, unless the growth, on account 
of its size, interferes with progress, the animal walks perfectly 
sound. Here the patient may, without offending the dictates 
of humanity, be put to slow work. 
Treatment.—In very many cases, possibly on account of 
the decreased circulation and vitality of the parts, these 
growths occur in aged animals. Here treatment is not 
economic, and may for that reason be put out of the question. 
Further, the growths are more common in heavy cart 
animals of a lymphatic type than in those of a lighter breed. 
Couple this with the fact that the tumour is often unattended 
with pain, and we see that the animal is still able to perform / 
his accustomed labour. Here, again, treatment is contra- 
indicated. e 
For still another reason surgical treatment, which is the 
only treatment likely to be of benefit, must not be undertaken 
rashly. A large and open wound is bound to be left behind. 
So large is it in many cases that the complete covering of 
the exposed surface with epidermal growths from the cir- 
cumference cannot possibly be looked for. There is then 
left a large and horny-looking scar, which is an even worse! 
eyesore than was the original enlargement. 
When the patient is a young and otherwise valuable 
animal, however, and when the case, judged either by the 
size of the swelling or its outside appearance, promises a 
fair measure of success, operative measures may be de- 
termined on. 
In this case the author’s practice has been, after casting 
the animal, to apply a tourniquet to the limb and proceed 
to excision. A lozenge-shaped incision, extending to near 
but not quite the circumference of the swelling, should be 
made with a large knife right through the skin and deeply 
into the growth. The whole is then removed, proceeding 
in an excavating manner under the thickened skin at the 
margin. Hemorrhage, though proceeding from several 
apparently large vessels in the structure of the tumour, 
