ULCER. 



of the /kill, which is very loofe at this fdit, is pinchrd up 

 tranfverfely, and kept in that pofiLion by the finger anrl 

 thumb of the furgeon on one fide, and of an affiftant on the 

 other, this fold may be divided by a pointed fcalpel, pufhed 

 through with the back of the knife towards the h'nib to 

 prevent the vein being wounded ; much in the fame way 

 as the fl<in is divided in making an ifTiie. This will expofc 

 the vein fufficiently ; but there is commonly a thin membra- 

 nous fafcia confining it in its fituation ; and when that is 

 met with, the vein had better be laterally difengaged by 

 the point of the knife. This is moft expeditioufly done by 

 laying hold of the fafcia with a pair of dilTefting forceps, 

 and dividing it ; for it is difficult to cut upon parts which 

 give little refinance, and there is a rilk of wounding the 

 vein. After this, a filver crooked needle, with the point 

 rounded off, will readily force its way through the cellular 

 membrane connefted with the vein, without any danger of 

 wounding the veiTcl, and carry a ligature round it. This 

 part, or, indeed, what may be confidered as the whole of the 

 operation, being fiuifhed, the patient had better be put to 

 bed, fo as to allow the vein to be in its eafiefl; ftate, before 

 the ligature is tied, and then a knot is to be made upon the 

 vein : this gives fome pain, but it is by no means fevere. 

 The edges of the wound in the (Itin are now to be brought 

 together by fticking-plaifter, except where the ligature 

 pafles out, and a comprefs and bandage applied, fo as to 

 keep up a moderate degree of preffure on the veins, both 

 above and below the part included in the ligature." See 

 Home's Praft. Obf. on Ulcers, p. 296, edit. 2. 



The foregoing method does not appear to pofiefs novelty, 

 as it was praftifed by Pare. What is of Hill more confe- 

 quence, it is a plan which is not free from ferious danger. 

 We have feen feveral examples, in which the praftice was 

 followed by a violent degree of conftitutional irritation, 

 confiderable difturbance of the nervous fyllem and a ten- 

 dency to convulfions. 



Mr. Brodie has tried another method of operating, which 

 is laid to prove effeftual, and to be milder in its confequences. 

 Some account of it will be found in the article Varicose 

 yeins. 



On the whole, we believe that there are few cafes in 

 which an operation is advifable, and that Default, Mr. 

 Whately, and feveral other furgcons, have been perfeftly 

 right in giving a preference to the fafer and more fimple 

 plan of making methodical preffure with a bandage. 



Ui.CEH, in animals of the doraeftic or live-ilock kind, is a 

 wound of fome (landing, arifing from a folution of con- 

 tinuity in fome flefliy part of the bodies of tliem with a lofs 

 of fubftaiice. The term is by fome, in thefc as well as 

 other cafes, confined to that breach or crofion of the (l<in 

 and parts immediately connedled with it, which cither pro- 

 ceeds direftly from an internal caufe, or at leall iii clofely 

 concerned with a peculiar (late of the conllitutioii. Others, 

 however, divide ulcers into two clalTes, the fimple and the 

 compound : the former being a mere wound of fome du- 

 ration, whicii is capable of being rellored by nature without 

 the afPiftance of art, efpecially in thefe animals ; while the 

 latter is that which is attended with a bad ilate of the body. 

 But although in tlicfe inllances an ulcer may be fuppofed 

 to proceed from a vitiated cr difcafed ftate of the habit of 

 body in the animal, all common fores may hkewife be 

 reckoned ulcers, when they degenerate and contraft an ill 

 difpofition, whether they take their origin from an internal 

 or an external caufe. They arc, of courfe, of various 

 kinds, according as they are owing to thefe different caufes. 

 Wounds, bruifes, and other accidents, when iU-treated or 

 reglcfted, often occafion ulceri ; as well as a depraTcd Ilate 



of the blood rtud juices, which in the firJl inftancc only pro- 

 duce tumours. Of this kind are all thofe of the fillular and 

 fome other kinds in thefe forts of animals. 



Some ulcers too are internal, as in the lungs, liver, kid- 

 neys, and other vifcera of animals, where they not unfirc- 

 quently produce waftes and decays in them ; and fome are 

 among the joints and hgaments, which are much more 

 common. This is much the cafe in the legs of fome 

 animals. 



There are other diftinilions alfo occafionally made ufe of 

 in defcribing ulcers in fuch animals; as thofe of Jikuouj, 

 Jijluloui, putrid, fcrophulous, cancerous, •varlcout, and fome 

 others, as their nature may be, and as may be feen under the 

 fame head in Surgery. 



The fimple ulcer is always fuperficial, and attended only 

 with foulnefs, and hard or uneven edges raifed above the 

 furface of the common (Icin. A compound ulcer is, pro- 

 perly, when not only the fle(h is ulcerated, but a caries or 

 decay exifts in (he bone, with other bad appearances in the 

 animal. A cavernous ulcer is that which has a fmall nar- 

 row entrance, with a wide fprcading bottom part. The 

 ulcers that run aflant, proceeding from abfcelfes between the 

 mufcles or their tendons, are called finuous ulcers : the 

 ulcers that are tubular, fmooth, and callous on the infide, 

 and run in feveral meanders, are called fiftulous : and where 

 there is a great efflux of fetid matter, with inflammation, 

 fwelling, and inward ficknefs in the animal, fuch ulcers arc 

 faid to be putrid. Cancerous and fcrophulous ulcers are 

 ufually feated on the glands, and may be di(lingui(hcd by 

 their particular appearances ; the latter being more flow in 

 its progrefs, and lefs offenfive than the former, which ex- 

 tends rapidly, and makes great havock on the parts, and 

 ferioufly affeds the whole conllitution of" the animal. 

 Varicous ulcers arc feated among the veins, and are always 

 foft and dillended with blood in their parts. There are 

 many of this kind that take place in the legs and other 

 parts of animals of thefe different forts. 



It is found by experience, that fimple and fuperficial 

 ulcers on the (kin in animals, are not, in general, difficult of 

 cure ; but fometimes their edges rife above the fnrfacc-fkin, 

 and grow callous, in which cafe they require fome time 

 before thefe can be reduced and cicatrized or healed. An 

 ulcer or caries in the bone is necelFarily more tedious and 

 difficult to cure than one in the fledi, and the difficulty is 

 more or lefs, in proportion to the nature of its fituation, 

 and the caufes whence it proceeds. Cavernous ulcers often 

 become fo, merely by tlieir fituation being in places where 

 compiefiion or bandages cannot be applied ; but they are 

 not fo troublefome as finuous ulcers, efpecially when the 

 finuofities terminate near a joint, for then they are often at- 

 tended witii great difficulty and danger. Fillnlous ulcers 

 are attended with all the fame, or rather greater difficulties, 

 being often fituated among the joints, and other incon- 

 venient places ; a circumftance which to animals of dif- 

 ferent forts is of bad confequence, and, for the moft part, 

 renders them of little ufe, even when a cure is effefted. 

 Putrid ulcers are always dangerous, as proceeding from a 

 bad Hate of the body in the animal ; and when they dif- 

 charge very great quantities of fetid matter, they are 

 liable to end in mortification, and the dellruftion of the 

 animals. 



Cancerous ulcers are not of lefs ill confequence, only 

 that there is more refpite given ; as the animals will live 

 languilhing a confiderable time with thefe and other anoma- 

 lous ulcers, as in fome forts of glanders or afleftions of the 

 .".oilrils in horfes, and fomttimes in other diforder«, until 

 they are quite reduced, and the cure in moll cafes is im- 



praAicablc. 



