Cancers and Tumors 171 
Cancer 
True cancers are not common to animals, although 
malignant sores are sometimes found that do not yield 
readily to the ordinary methods of treatment. When 
such sores occur, it is necessary to treat them according 
to their individual peculiarity as regards form, location 
and size. If feasible, it is usually the best plan to 
remove the diseased part by surgical means and to 
treat the case afterward as a simple wound. When 
this is not possible, the part may be poulticed for a 
day or two, then the diseased portion destroyed by 
means of a caustic, such as chlorid of antimony, applied 
with a swab, with after-treatment as for a simple 
wound. It is not a good plan to use strong caustics 
frequently on wounds, as the caustic destroys the ten- 
der healing tissue and often produces a dense, fibrous 
growth that is extremely difficult to remove or to heal. 
Tumors 
Tumors are abnormal growths of tissue. There are 
many kinds, usually named from the kind of tissue of 
which they are composed, as fibrous and fatty tumors. 
In white or gray horses there are often found melanotic 
tumors, composed of coloring matter, usually located in 
the skin in the region of the neck, urino-genital organs, 
or tail. Warts are tumors of the skin. Sore tumors, 
that tend to spread and do not yield to treatment, are 
known as malignant tumors. 
The true cause of the growth of most tumors is 
not known. Sometimes fibrous tumors are caused by 
