312 Surgical Diseases and Surgery of the Dog 



while hunting, have each and all been known to result in serious in- 

 jury to the parts. Foreign bodies may produce immediate or remote 

 effects or they may be perfectly harmless. Aseptic bodies, and par- 

 ticularly shot, often become, encapsulated and exert no iU-effect. 

 Infected bodies provoke inflammatory reaction and fistula. Any 

 kind of sharp body may work its way up through the tissues to a 

 distant area, leaving a fistulous tract behind it. A remarkable in- 

 stance is recorded by Ducourneau who, on exploring an abscess in 

 the digital region with a probe, found a fistulous tract extending 

 as far as the knee. On opening at the latter point he found a 

 spikelet of grass. The wound healed, but a new abscess developed 

 higher up some days later, which on being opened was found to 

 contain a, second spikelet. Elastic bands impede the return circu- 

 lation and may induce gangrene of the extremity when their tension 

 is strong. When it is weak, they cut slowly into the tissues, causing 

 a circular section of the skin and subcutaneous tissues with edema 

 of the extremities. Non-elastic bands, such as thread, cause analo- 

 gous results but their constricting action is quick. 



Treatment. The indications are to promptly extract foreign 

 bodies of any nature, if necessary by incising the skin, with the ex- 

 ception of aseptic ones which should be left alone unless they render 

 the animal lame. The wounds are then treated as already outlined. 

 If gangrene has set in the mortifying portion of the leg must be 

 amputated. 



NEOPLASMS. 



All varieties of tumor occur in the legs, but only the more 

 common growths affecting this part of the body will receive special 

 consideration. These are the innocent adenoma, fibroma, lipoma, 

 verruca, tyloma and hygroma of the elbow, hypertrophy of the stra- 

 tum corneum of the pads (corns), interdigital serous cysts, and 

 malignant carcinoma and sarcoma. Other forms, such as heman- 

 gioma and chondroma, observed by Gurlt on the digits, are so 

 extremely rare that they are to be regarded as pathologic curiosities 

 and merit but a passing reference. 



Adenoma. These may be of sebaceous or sudoriparous origin. 

 They usually occur mixed with fibrous tissue and are liable to 

 undergo cystic degeneration. Common seats are the region of the 

 knee and hock. There is good reason to believe that they may 



