330 Veterinary Medicine. 



has been resorted to. Metallic cups with small mouths and having 

 a capacity of about a pint each, have the air rarefied by plunging 

 into each a spirit lamp, and, on its withdrawal, suddenly applying 

 the mouth of the cup on the skin of the costal region, previously 

 well coated with lard. Another form of cup is made with a tube 

 and stop- cock in its otherwise blind end by means of which it is 

 exhausted with a syringe after its mouth has been applied to the 

 skin. In the absence of both, a narrow- mouthed glass tumbler 

 may be employed, the air is rarified by inserting into it a burning 

 spill of paper or wood for a few seconds and on its withdrawal the 

 cup is instantly inverted on the skin. If the animal is very hairy 

 or very thin it may be necessary to shave the part, and smear 

 with oil and even to select a very narrow-mouthed cup. When 

 applied, the cup is cooled with water or otherwise and owing to 

 the partial vacuum the skin is strongly drawn up into it and the 

 blood accumulates in and under the skin. It maybe kept on for 

 half an hour at a time and, with ten or twelve cups on one side, 

 the patient tends to profuse perspiration, establishing a strong re- 

 vulsion toward the skin, and great relief. In dangerous cases, 

 three or four applications may be required in twenty-four hours. 



Next to this the mustard application is perhaps the safest and 

 most valuable. Thr: best ground mustard (black by preference) 

 is made into a very thin pulp with tepid or cold (never hot nor boil- 

 ing) water and rubbed in against the hair so as to soak the surface 

 of the skin ; it is then closely covered with paper and with a rub- 

 ber or other impervious covering or, in default of better, with a 

 close blanket and left on for two hours. By this time the skin 

 should be thickened to the extent of at least a quarter of an inch 

 and the derivation and relief will be very manifest. 



Cantharides is sometimes used but, like most other severe irri- 

 tants, is liable to induce sympathetic irritation in an already se- 

 verely inflamed pleura, and thus to obviate all benefit. Canthar- 

 ides is also liable, through extensive absorption, to irritate the kid- 

 neys. To counteract this, Bouley gave y^ drachm doses of cam- 

 phor with alleged good effect. 



Some practitioners make local applications of hot water and of 

 aqua ammonia (confined) but unless very closely watched these 

 are liable to destroy the hair follicles and produce permanent 

 blemish. Vesicants should be used if possible before exudation. 

 I^aborde claims that, later, they encrease the effusion. 



