SET 



charging the contents of large chronic abfceffes. It is 

 thought by fome praftitioners that this method has the 

 advantage of letting the matter efcape very gradually, a 

 circumftance, by which the dangerous effefts, often arifing 

 from emptying the abfcefs all at once, are in a great 

 meafure avoided. Many furgeons even fuppofe that fetoni 

 hinder the external air from getting into the cavity of the 

 abfcefs, and, as prejudice and exaggeration have filled their 

 minds with ferious apprehenfions upon this fubjed, they 

 are perhaps more attached to the praftice than any recom- 

 mendations which it really poffeffes would juftify. 



Formerly, fetons were frequently ufed for accomplifhing 

 the radical cure of the hydrocele. The celebrated Mr. 

 Pott was an advocate for this method, which he certainly 

 brought to great perfection. It is fcarcely neceflary for us 

 to remark here, that the feton excited the requifite degree 

 of inflammation in the cavity of the tunica vaginalis teftis, 

 and the adhefion of its oppofite furfaces to each other. See 

 Hydrocele. 



The common mode of making a feton is with a flat 

 broadifh needle, whicli is fomevvhat curved towards the 

 point, and furniflied with cutting edges. This form enables 

 the furgeon to bring the needle out of the part again 

 without any difficulty. The integuments are pinched up 

 into a fold, of which the operator raifes one end with the 

 fore-finger and thumb of his left hand, while an afliftant 

 raifes the other. The needle, armed with the filk or thread 

 dipped IB fweet oil, is then to be puftied through the flcin 

 thus lifted up. It is only neceflary to draw the end of the 

 filk or thread a httle way out of the fecond aperture : the 

 needle may now be removed. The next objeft is to fix the 

 ends of the filk, which is ufually done with adhefive plafter. 

 The wounds are then to be covered with pledgets, and a re- 

 tentive bandage. The oil prevents the filk from adhering 

 to the flefli, and facilitates its paflage through the wound ; 

 for, as foon as fuppuration has taken place, that part of the 

 filk which is in the wound is to be drawn out and cut off^. 

 The fame method is to be repeated every day, and the fame 

 plan of dreffing continued. When the fl<ein of filk is ex- 

 haufted, a new one, oiled in the above manner, is to be 

 introduced by means of an eye-probe. 



Setons, unlefs kept exceedingly clean, and drefled with 

 much tendernefs, fometimes excite a great deal of irritation, 

 and prove very troublefome to the patient. The thread is 

 alfo apt, with the leaft negleft, to cut its way out, and 

 leave an ugly fore. 



When a feton is made in a cafe of large chronic abfcefs, 

 a punfture is firft made in the upper part of the tumour ; 

 an eye-probe, armed with a fl<ein of filk, is introduced down- 

 ward ; and the end of the inftrument being felt againft 

 the infide of the lower part of the fwelling, an incifion 

 is made upon it, fo that the end of the filk can then be 

 drawn out. 



The manner of making a feton for the cure of hydro- 

 celes has been defcribed in a former volume. See Hy- 

 drocele. 



The hke operation is frequently praftifed on horfes, &c. 

 and called, by the farriers, roivelling. 



SETOSCH, in Geography, a town of Bohemia, in the 

 circle of Chrudim ; 8 miles S.S.W. of Chrudim. 



SETRA-JETA, the name, in Hindoo romance, of the 

 father of one of the favourite wives of the popular deity 

 Krifhna. Her name was Satyavama ; and (he is fometimes 

 faid to have been an incarnation of Lakflimi, confort of the 

 god Viflinu. See thofe articles. 



SETS, in Agriculture and Gardening, a terrti applied to 



6 



SET 



the cuttings or planted parts of potatoes, hops, liquorice, 

 lavender, &c. 



It has lately been found to be of material confequence 

 for the fets which produce the plants, in fome cafes, to have 

 a large fubftance for their early nourifliment and fupport, as 

 in thofe of the potatoe ; as though the fmall parts, called 

 eyes or buds, will grow and produce crops, they are far from 

 being equal to thofe where the fets are of a large fize. Iti 

 fliort,the refult of various experiments has fhewn that crops 

 of this fort prove, ceteris paribus, abundant or other\vife» 

 nearly in proportion to the fize of the fets. Therefore, as 

 there is no material faving produced by the ufe of fmall fets 

 or cuttings of this root, while the difference in the quantity 

 of produce is from one hundred to one hundred and 

 fifty buftiels the acre, the practice of employing fuch fmall 

 fets in planting fljould be difcontinued in all fituations ; and 

 for the very fame reafon that heavy well-fed corn, when 

 otherwife in good condition, fhould, in all cafes and circum- 

 ftances, be preferred to that which is light. See PerATOE 

 and Seed. 



SETSE, in Botany, the name of a Chinefe tree, called 

 alfo chit/e, and much efteemed by the people of that country 

 for its beauty, and for the goodnefs of its fruit. In the pro- 

 vinces of Cantong and Honan there are whole plains covered 

 with thefe trees, many of which grow to the fize of our 

 walnut-tree. The fruit ripens every where in the Eaft, 

 where the tree grows, but it is of a much more delicious 

 flavour in fome places than in others. The leaves are of the 

 colour and fliape of thofe of the walnut-tree, only that they 

 are more round at the ends. The fruit is fometimes round, 

 fometimes pointed at one end, fometimes oval, fometimes 

 flat, and not unfrequently compofed of two pieces, as it 

 were, and refembhng two apples, cut and joined together. 

 The rind is always green, never changing yellow or red, and 

 the fruit keeps its freflinefs all the winter. They are about 

 the fize of the orange, and the fliin is very tender and thin, 

 and the fruit has a mixed tafte of the fliarp and the lufcious. 

 It is very wholefome and good. 



SETTE', in Geography, a town of Africa, and capital 

 of a country of the fame name, fubjeft to Loango, on the 

 river Sette ; i6o miles north of Loango. — Alfo, a country 

 of Africa, fouth of cape Lopez Gonfalvo, watered by a 

 river of the fame name. This country is governed by a 

 mani, who is fubjeft to the king of Loango. — Alfo, a river 

 of Africa, which runs into the Atlantic, S. lat. 2° 15'. 



SETTEE, in Sea Language, a veflel, very common in 

 the Mediterranean, with one deck, and a very long and fliarp 

 prow. They carry, fome two mafts, fume three, without 

 top-mafts. They have generally two m.aits, and are rigged 

 and navigated hke xebecs or galleys, with fettee fails inftead 

 of lateen fails. The lealt of them are of fixty tons burden. 

 They ferve to tranfport cannon, and provifions for fliips of 

 war, and the hke. Thefe velfels are peculiar to the Medi- 

 terranean fea, and are ufually navigated by Italians, Greeks, 

 or Mahometans. 



SETTEFRATRI, in Geography, a town of Naples, 

 in Abruzzo Ultra, 10 miles N. E. of Teremo. 



SETTENIL, a town of Spain, in the province of Gre- 

 nada ; 8 miles N. of Ronda. 



SETTER, among Farmers. To fetter, is to cut the 

 dew-lap of an ox, or cow, and into the wound to put the root 

 of the helleborafter ; by which an ifl"ue is made, for ill 

 humours to vent themfelves. 



SETTER-/f ort, in Botany. See Hellebore. 



SETTIA, iu Geography, a province of the ifland of 

 Candia, occupying the whole ealtern part of the ifland ; it 

 is the moft extcnfive, but the leait peopled, and the leaft 



productive. 



