98 VETERINARY SURGICAL OPERATIONS 



Septicaemia, pyaemia, malignant oedema, and tetanus are 



so many formidable complications liable to supervene the 

 insertion of setons, and whenever there is any suspicion of 

 the development of such serious diseases the tract must be 

 laid bare and submitted to an energetic antiseptic treatment. 



Frog Setons. 



The term "frog seton" is applied to a tape inserted along 

 the course of the perforans tendon, from the pit of the heel 

 to the anterior end of the frog. Its course is between the 

 plantar cushion and the tendon along the entire long axis 

 of the former. Its object is that of combating lameness due 

 to navicular arthritis. In past decades this mode of treat- 

 ment was commonly practiced by veterinarians, but during 

 recent years it has fallen into disuse through the introduction 

 of better modes of treatment and the general unsatisfactory 

 results usually obtained. The theory upon which the frog 

 seton was defended is that of counter-irritation, which was 

 thus accomplished as near to the seat of the disease as pos- 

 sible, instead of depending upon the application of irritants 

 to the coronet which are too remote to exert a beneficial ef- 

 fect. 



The frog seton is inserted in the standing position with a 

 needle about six inches long, which is passed by one sudden 

 thrust from above downward. To facilitate its safe passage 

 through the tissues at one single pang the needle should be 

 exceptionally sharp and penetrant. The operator holds the 

 foot with the one hand, and as the assistant is directed to 

 give the twitch an extra turn to divert the horse's at- 

 tention, the needle, already carefully adjusted in the pit of 

 the heel directly against the tendon, is sent through the foot 

 with one hard thrust. To facilitate its exit through the sole 

 at the point of the frog the hoof should previously be pared' 

 thin, otherwise the hard hoof would block the course of the 

 needle at its destination. The skin at the point of entrance 

 and the hoof at the exit are the only obstacles against the 

 free passage of the needle. Between these two points the 

 needle traces its way with but little resistance along the per- 

 forans tendon and its plantar aponeurosis. 



It is customary to remove such setons in about two 

 weeks, during which time they are washed and turned daily 

 and protected from stable filth. 



