MELANOSIS. 129 



country. The effect of light on the colouring granules of the 

 pigment cells, may also have something to say to the larger 

 percentage of cases met with in the hotter climate. 



Melanosis is a disgusting disease when it is well developed. It 

 is not alone an eyesore, but, also, from affecting the internal 

 organs, it may permanently injure the horse's health, or even 

 prove fatal to him. The animal's condition becomes more or less 

 impaired by the irritation caused by the tumours, which will often, 

 especially if subjected to friction, burst, and form unhealthy sores, 

 discharging a dark-coloured fluid. 



TREATMENT is of no use with cases of melanosis in horses ; 

 cutting out the growth only caused it to appear somewhere else 

 with increased virulence. I conclude that this undesirable result 

 has been due to the fact that the removal has not been complete ; 

 for, in human practice, in no form of malignant growth is resort 

 to early and free excision of more importance to the patient than 

 melanotic sarcoma or carcinoma. 



