CANKER or THE EAR. «S 



bad system of kennel management co-exists. But in the interests 

 of my canine friends I would ask whether there is not another fi-equent 

 and needless cause t — whether men do not often produce it who, 

 instead of correcting their dogs by the legitimate means of the 

 voice and the whip, resort to the cruel practice of " lugging?" 



External canker often exists as a consec[uence of inflamma- 

 tion, ulceration, or suppuration of the internal passage. There is 

 a kind of mangy affection of the ears which is altogether different, 

 but which may easily be confounded with it; in these cases the 

 edges of the ears become dry, hot, and scaly, and the hair faUs off, 

 but this is in many cases really mange, and must be so treated. 

 There are cases where the whole of the external ear becomes swoUen 

 and tender, and tie flap thickened and filled with fluid between 

 the skin and the cartilage gristle. In such cases it is not unusual to 

 lance them and press out the matter formed ; but a far more successful 

 method is to insert a tape seton iu the inside of the ear from above 

 downwards to the flap. The tape should be moved now and again 

 to allow the fluid to escape, and the ear should be frequently washed 

 with warm water so that the openings made by the eeton do not 

 become blocked. When the discharge ceases, the tape can be cut out, 

 and the wounds dressed night and morning with boracic acid ointment 

 or white naphthol ointment. 



In the general treatment of canker of the ear the first thing is to 

 remove any exciting cause that may exist, such as dirt or hardened 

 wax, and this can be best done by carefully washing, and if need be, 

 syringing the ears with lukewarm water ; and, in the case of 

 hardened wax, pouring in a few drops of almond or olive oil. The 

 bathing ^vill in itself assuage the paia and irritation, and all the 

 parts that can be got at should be afterwards carefully dried with a 

 soft cloth. There are many applications recommended for canker of 

 the ear, and endless nostrums advertised to cure it in a single day ; 

 all, or nearly all, are preparations of lead, zinc, or silver. 



Silver and Zins Lotions. — A solution of nitrate of silver is recom- 

 mended by many ; the strength should be from 4gr. to 6gr. of the 

 nitrate of silver to loz. of water. Or a sulphate of zinc lotion may 

 be made as follows : Take sulphate of zinc, 12gr. ; wine of opium, 

 Idr. ; water sufBcient to make IJoz. of lotion. 



I prefer the following preparation to anything I have tried : 



Lead Liniment. — Take Goulard's Extract of Lead, loz. ; glycerine 

 and carbolic acid, Joz. ; finest olive oO, 4Joz. Mix the first two 

 named, and add the oil gradually, rubbing together in a mortar. 

 The bottle must be well shaken before the Uniment is used. 



All of these preparations are used in a similar manner — namely, by 

 placing the dog's head flat on a form, or on the knee of the person 



