DISEASES. 705 



ways more irritating and contains mineral substances, especially 

 lime, alkalines, and salts, and other substances. The gutters of 

 some industrial establishments have also a direct irritating action. 

 D'Arboval has observed that the mud of places where mineral 

 springs exist, is more irritating, as also are calcareous soUs, where 

 cutaneous quittor is more frequent than ia any other. Common, 

 large horses, notwithstanding their thick skins — or, rather on that 

 account and on account of the hair which covers it — are more 

 commonly affected than private horses. Towing horses are much 

 more exposed to the disease than those otherwise employed. 



IV. Treatment. — As a first direction, during the course of 

 the treatment it is always a prudent rule not to work the animal 

 and to keep it in the stable, the feet being kept dry on a good 

 bedding. An internal treatment is seldom necessary to control 

 the general symptoms ; if any is required, ordinary salines will 

 generally be sufficient. It is necessary to assist the process of 

 suppuration of the abscess by emoUents, warm baths, poultices of 

 flaxseed or of marshmallows, with melted lard, applied quite 

 warm, or by the appUcation of a mixture of honey and bran or 

 flour. We have appUed a coating of blister ointment to the tu- 

 mor, covered with a warm poultice ; the maturing effect is then 

 very rapid. It is often necessary to lance the tumor to reduce 

 the pain and prevent the mortification of a large piece of skin. 

 This operation is recommended by D'Arboval and H. Bouley, and 

 is specially indicated when the tumor is much developed. It is 

 then important to incise in the entire thickness of the dermis and 

 to a sufficient length, and if necessary to make severel parallel in- 

 cisions which wUl give rise to a copious flow of blood. In this 

 mode, the parts are reheved, the pressure of the tumefaction is 

 reduced and the gangrene diminished, if not entirely prevented. 

 It is necessary — and we insist on this point — to incise so deeply 

 that the tumefied skin is divided in its entire thickness. We have 

 seen blacksmiths thus operate by the introduction of points of 

 cauterization in the summit of the abscess ; but this mode, though 

 facilitating the sloughing of the strangulated part and reducing 

 the compression, ought not to be preferred to the incision with a 

 sharp instrument — cauterization is more painful. 



When gangrene exists and the abscess is open, the incision is 

 certainly less efficacious than at the outset, but it is not for that 

 reason useless, as it relieves the pain and prevents excessive com- 



