64 Surgical Diseases and Surgery of the Dog 



ment carries no advantage with it. The animal usually objects the less 

 the further the nozzle is inserted within the passage. Another method, 

 which is, however, more painful, is to grasp a small wad of absor- 

 bent cotton with the beak of a hemostatic forceps, dip it in the 

 fluid, and swab out the ear. In either case the passage should be 

 finally freed from all moisture with dry absorbent cotton in this 

 manner. Hair in the vicinity of the passage should be removed with 

 scissors. In cases exhibiting advanced ulceration and which con- 

 sequently would give rise to much pain upon manipulation, mor- 

 phine should previously be administered hypodermically. 



A great many remedies have been advocated and employed 

 in this affection, but two or three are pre-eminent in their curative 

 power, and with them alone the worst form of the disease may be 

 eradicated. It should be remembered that this disease is an in- 

 flammatory one due to the action of pyogenic microorganisms, and 

 differs in no wise from inflammatory disturbances of the same 

 origin and nature in other parts of the surface of the body and re- 

 quires similar methods of treatment. In the active hyperemic stage 

 irrigation or local bathing with moderately hot water is beneficial 

 followed by soothing applications. As a soothing application a 

 remedy combining antiseptic, dessicant, and analgesic properties is 

 desired and nothing meets the requirement better than the synthetic 

 powder xeroform. The milder ulcers call for gentle stimulation 

 and for this purpose nitrate of silver in distilled aqueous solution 

 (3:100 — 5:100) cannot be excelled. The employment of such solu- 

 tion for stimulating purposes may be limited, usually to three or 

 four instillations. It should be instilled night and morning into the 

 external meatus and retained there for a few minutes, the animal 

 then being allowed to shake it out, or in the case of a light-coated 

 animal, absorbed with a piece of cotton or sponge to prevent it 

 staining the hair. Indolent and exuberant ulcers may be actively 

 cauterized with the solid stick or powerful solutions. As the action 

 of the caustic is very painful the parts must be well anesthetized 

 with an instillation of a strong solution of cocaine. Local anesthesia 

 being established, the canal is dilated with a speculum to expose the 

 ulcers, which are then freely cauterized. A few hours after the ap- 

 plication of the nitrate a more profuse discharge takes place, which, 

 however, soon subsides. Severe and long-standing chronic cases 

 treated in the manner thus outlined may be permanently cured in 



