U L C 



U L C 



opiate kinds applied in as powerful a manner as poffible ex- 

 ternally to the parts. By thefe means, fteadily per- 

 fevered in, they may often be removed without much 

 difficulty. 



The caiuerous ■».ndi fcrophulous are forts of ulcers that take 

 place in the glandular parts of the bodies of animals. The 

 firft fort fometimes occurs in horfes in bad cafes of glanders 

 and farcy ; and horfes have occafionally cancerous warts, 

 which, when deep feated, are liable to become true can- 

 cerous ulcers. Some fuppofe too that ulcers of this nature 

 take place from fetons, in fome cafes, when improperly 

 placed in glandular parts. 



In neat cattle, they moftly begin by hard livid tumours 

 forming themfelves in glandular parts, fome of which are 

 moveable, others more fixed at firft, and fome inflame and 

 quickly break out, difcharging a thin acrid fort of ichor, 

 while others are more flow in breaking, and difcharge a 

 more thick matter, being liable to fill up with fungous flefli. 

 Thefe latter often occur about the face, on the eye-lids, 

 and in the glands about the jaws, being very difficult of 

 healing. There is frequently a fcrophulous difpofition in 

 the parts that keep them up. 



In thefe cafes the cure depends much on their fituation. 

 In fome iiiftances they can be readily removed by cutting 

 the difeafed parts wholly out. Some deftroy the excref- 

 cences by the ufe of cauftic. Thefe modes are particularly 

 iifed with neat cattle, and fometimes with other forts. 

 After the ulcers have been made clean in their parts, they 

 may be touched all over with cauftic of the lunar kind, or 

 have red precipitate, in fine powder, dufted on them, and be 

 afterwards drefted with fmall pledgets of tow or lint, 

 dipped in a folution of fublimate in cgyptiacum, to which 

 a little tuicture of myrrh and fpirit of turpentine and of 

 fait have been added, once a day ; any rifing flefti being 

 kept down by the above cauftic. In order to fill up fuch 

 ulcers more readily, in fome cafes, as where they are clean, 

 and without acrid difcharge, it may be neceflary to ufe 

 digsftive ointment wrought up with the above folution, on 

 the dreffings, once or twice a day. 



Mild purges in thefe cafes may fometimes be beneficially 

 made ufe of to promote the healing of the ulcers, as well as 

 medicines of fome other kinds. 



The hard glandular tumours that produce thefe ulcers 

 may fometimes be difperfed at firft, by the ufe of ftrong 

 mercurial ointment mixed up with turpentine, well rub- 

 bed upon them once or twice a day for fevcral days, and 

 then leaving it off for a time, to be repeated again if neceffary. 

 The fame ointment may likewife be employed with more 

 advantage, in fome cales, when combined with ftrong aqua- 

 fortis and powdered cantharidc-s. See TuMouu. 



In the cure of the varicous kind of ulcers, it has been ad- 

 vifed by fome to bathe the parts with aftringent foment- 

 ation? prepared by oak and other fuch barks in proper 

 proportions, or with alum and white vitriol diffolved in 

 warm vinegar. The matter of thefe ulcers is generally, it is 

 faid, of a thin bloody watery nature, which will thicken or 

 dry up by fuch applications. In cafe the veffels continue 

 weak and relaxed after fuch ulcers are healed, firing will 

 fometimes be ufefwl and proper for ftrengthening the parts, 

 by contrafting the coats of the veins that caufe and |)ro- 

 mote the ulcers : and in fome cafes it may be dont- fa dec ply 

 as to cut off the comnujnication of tliem. Ulcers of this 

 watery kind, which have fome affinity to the varicous, lake 

 place in horfes in the farcy, and in fome otlier difeafcs of 

 ihcm, as well as other aninjal^. 



In moft cafes of old ulcers in animals, it will be of much 

 6 



ufe to have recourfe occafionally to calomel, given in dole^ 

 of from h.ilf a drachm to a whole one, with coolmg purges, 

 and good keep, as well as the frequent appUcation of band- 

 ages where they can be employed. 



By thefe different means properly apphed, moll of the 

 ulcers in different forts of domeftic animals may be fpeedily 

 removed. 



ULCERATION. That the living body (hould pof- 

 fefs a power of removing portions of itfelf, feems at firft a 

 propofition fomewhat extraordinary ; but when it is known 

 that there exifts in the animal body a fyftcm of veffels, 

 whofe peculiar function is to take away the old particles of 

 matter, in proportion as new particles are depofited by the 

 arteries, the difappearance of parts then readily admits of 

 explanation by adverting to the power and acSlion of the 

 abforbent veffels. In faft, there can be no greater difficulty 

 in conceiving how thefe veffels remove the particles of the 

 body, than in conceiving how fuch particles are depofited 

 by another order of veffels, named arteries. One of the 

 moft common examples of the abforption of particles of the 

 living body in difeafe, is that which is every day exemplified 

 in the procefs of ulceration, by which an aftual breach or 

 folution of continuity is produced. It was tliis procefs 

 which Mr. Hunter ufed to diftinguifti by the name of 

 vlrerallve abforption. 



Ulceration, or ulcerative abforption (asprofeffor Thomfon 

 obfervesl, is a morbid procefs which muft have prefented 

 itfelf in every age, and with the appearances of which 

 medical men mufl have been at all times very familiarly ac- 

 quainted. The phenomena which it exhibits were deno- 

 minaicd erofion by Galen. Since his time, it has ufually 

 been fuppofed that the folution of continuity which occurs 

 in erofion is produced by the corrofive or folvent power of 

 the fluids which are generated in that procefs. 



Mr. Hunter was the firil who ventured to c.dl this 

 opinion of Galen's in queftion, and who pointed out to 

 future obfervers the fliaie which the abforbent veflels have 

 in this procefs. 



In moft inftances of inflammation, in which the procefs 

 of ulcerative abforption occurs, it ufually begins at a fingle 

 point, forming a fmall fore or ulcer ; while in other ex- 

 amples it commences at feveral points, either at the fame 

 time or in fucceffiou. In many inftances, its operation ap- 

 pears to be diffufed over a confidcrable extent of furface ; 

 and in others again it is limited to a very narrow hue, pro- 

 ducing a chink or fiffure, an appearance fimilar to that 

 which occurs in the feparation of mortified parts. The 

 progrefs of ulcerative abforption is very various in different 

 textures, and in the fame texture in different individuals, ac- 

 cording to the nature of the inflammation, the degree in 

 which It exifts, and perhaps, alfo, according to the particular 

 conftitution of the perfon in whom it occurs. In fome 

 inftances the procefs of ulcerative abforption is exceedingly 

 flow, or clironic in its progrefs, the fores which it forms 

 remaining long open, without manifefting any difpofition to 

 extend themfelves into the parts more unmediately furround- 

 ing them. In other inftances it ads with great rapidity, 

 removing and deftroyiiig confiderable portions of textures 

 or organs in the courfe of a few hours. 



Dr. Tiiomfon then proceeds to notice, that pain of a 

 pricking or lancinating nature is an alnioll conftant attend- 

 ant upon attacks of ulcerative abforption ; but this varies 

 exceedingly m different textures, in different kinds of in- 

 flammation, and according as the abforption is more rapid 

 or flow. 



Every organized part of the body fceras liable to ul- 

 cerative 



