340 TUMORS. 



the parenchymatous injections are generally useless, as is also the 

 internal treatment with iodine. We must treat these forms like 

 any other cystic tumor — that is to say, by puncture, opening it 

 freely, tamponing with iodoform-gauze or wadding, and encourag- 

 ing the formation of true granulations to fill up the cavity. 



The removal of a thyroid gland which is affected by goitrous 

 degeneration is performed in the same manner in the dog as the 

 removal of any other tumor. We must, however, consider three 

 very important things during the operation: 



1. The large number of bloodvessels in the immediate vicinity 

 requiring careful incision and subsequent ligation. 



2. The fact that after removal of both parts of the thyroid 

 gland we often have the appearance of serious constitutional symp- 

 toms and death. 



3. Any uncleanliness during or after the operation always pro- 

 duces severe septic irritation in the remaining portion of the gland 

 and its surroundings. 



We have found from the observations made on a number of 

 these cases that removal of one part of the gland does not affect 

 the animal materially; but if both are removed, or the whole gland, 

 we might say, the dog dies within three or four days, with symp- 

 toms resembling those of acute poisoning, or it becomes affected by 

 marasmus, becoming depressed, will not eat, emaciation follows, 

 the number of white blood-corpuscles in the blood increases to an 

 enormous extent, the animal becomes unsteady and uncertain in 

 walking, there are muscular twitchings and convulsions, and 

 finally general paralysis, and death occurs in three or four days 

 after the acute symptoms make their appearance. 



It is only in rare cases that the dog survives removal of the 

 whole gland. We ca,n, therefore, conclude that if the dog is 

 affected on both sides we should remove the one that is affected the 

 most. In rare cases we see a goitrous degeneration and enlarge- 

 ment of the thyroid gland. The symptoms of this inflammation 

 invariably occur in young animals, and may be due to traumatic 

 influences. In these cases we find a traumatic swelling over the 

 region of the gland, sensitiveness to pressure, increased tempera- 

 ture, slight fever, generally followed by the formation of an ab- 

 scess. Tlie treatment is to be that advised under the treatment of 

 abscesses. 



