128 MALIG^NANT TUMOURS. 



which looked like pieces of greyish whit© or yellowish white coral, 

 and varied in size, as already said, from that of a pin's head to 

 that of a broad bean. The separation of these nodules took place 

 without any apparent inflammatory action, and consequently with- 

 out the formation of a single drop of pus. The nodules, embedded 

 in the wounded surfaces, also became loosened, and readily came 

 away. After six weeks of this treatment, all the nodules had 

 disappeared out of the tongue, which had regained, to a great 

 extent, its norm^ size, colour, consistency and action; the 

 exposed surfaces had healed over ; the flow of saliva had ceased ; 

 and the animal was able to eat his green meat and hay without 

 the slightest attempt at quidding; had greatly improved in 

 condition; and was in excellent health. In fact, I trained him 

 for racing later on. For the first six months he had more or less 

 difliculty in eating oats from the state of his tongue, the full use 

 of which he subsequently recovered. I attribute these good results 

 to the action of the iodide of potassium; for when discontinued, 

 on two occasions for three days, the symptoms of swelling and 

 hardness of the tongue, running of saliva from the mouth, and 

 adherence of the nodules to the surrounding tissues, began to 

 increase in a marked manner, until I recommenced giving this 

 medicine, when they began to abate with equal quickness. The 

 fact of a young three-year-old horse being able to tolerate such 

 an enormous quantity of iodide of potassium as this one took, is 

 eitremely interesting to students of veterinary medicine. 



Instead of large doses of iodide of potassium, which is an 

 expensive drug, good results have been obtained by giving twice 

 daily in gruel about 5 grains of biniodide of mercury and 10 

 grains of iodide of potassium in an ounce of water. The iodide 

 of potassium is added in order to render the biniodide of mercury 

 soluble in water. 



Melanosis. 



This is a malignant new growth which occurs in various parts of 

 the body. It appears in the form of dark-coloured tumours which 

 gradually increase in size, and are usually situated on the lower, 

 and sometimes on the upper surface of the tail, and about the 

 anus, sheath and crest. When it affects the tail or crest, the 

 hair over the seat of the disease falls out after a time. Melanosis 

 is, with but few exceptions, confined to grey horses, and usually 

 appears after the ninth or tenth year, when the coat begins to 

 turn white. It is much more common in India than it is in 

 England ; perhaps because the proportion of grey horses to those 

 of a darker hue is much larger in the former, than in the latter 



