25 6 CONTRIBUTIONS TO VETERINARY PATHOLOGY. 
three to four pints of a transparent brownish straw-coloured 
serum escaped, the tumour with its evacuation entirely disap- 
pearing. I now had an opportunity of examining its walls. 
The cartilaginous character of the outer was proved beyond 
doubt, by the passage of the scalpel through it. The inner or 
posterior appeared to me to consist of osseous plates, of various 
sizes, connected by condensed cellular membrane to each other, 
and to the fascia on the surface of the contiguous muscles, the 
largest of the plates being of the size and thickness of a crown 
piece. 
I now proceeded to remove every portion of the diseased cyst, 
by extending the incision to the top and bottom of the tumour, 
dissecting carefully the abnormal deposit from its attachments 
to the skin and muscles. The osseous plates were so firmly 
attached to the superficies of the muscles underneath as to ren- 
der this a somewhat lengthened operation ; I succeeded, how- 
ever, in taking away all the diseased structure. If this had not 
been effected, a troublesome and protracted case would, I ap- 
prehend, have resulted. The edges of the wound were brought 
together by means of three ligatures; a dose of physic given; 
and fomentations directed to be occasionally used. 
March 30. — The wound seems to be doing well. Dark 
purple-coloured patches are observed on the surface of the 
muscles, these being the places from which the ossific plates had 
been removed. There is no unusual swelling or other un- 
favourable appearance. The treatment consists principally in 
attending to cleanliness. 
April 3. — The patches are less distinct; healthy pus is 
secreted ; the wound is doing well. Diuretic medicine is ad- 
ministered, the mare being slightly swollen in her legs from 
standing. 
I have seen her two or three times since. No wound can be 
doing better. She is making flesh too fast ; I therefore, on 
my last visit, directed her to be kept on bran diet. A mild 
purge was also given. 
Remarks . — The adoption of the usual treatment for abscesses 
of this kind, viz., opening, setoning, injecting or blistering, I 
submit, would not have been attended with success in this case. 
The quickest and most certain mode of cure was, in my opinion, 
to remove by excision the diseased tissues. 
I have found the knife to be the most useful instrument at 
the disposal of the veterinary surgeon, far superior, in a large 
number of cases, to the caustic or escharotic applications in use ; 
as it does its work at once, saving much pain to the animal, and 
restoring him to his work sooner than when we excite slough- 
ing action as a substitute for it, to effect which in large wounds 
