WHAT TO DO AND WHAT NOT TO DO. 125 
The next point I would allude to is, the care the prac- 
titioner ought to take in forming his diagnosis , so as to deter- 
mine the true character of the growth or tumour to which 
his attention is directed. To ascertain, if possible, whether 
it be malignant or non-malignant, is of the greatest im- 
portance, since his prognosis will necessarily be based upon 
the conclusion to which he has arrived. 
Simple tumours, as a rule, may form independent of any 
constitutional peculiarity in the animal, and may generally be 
removed without our anticipating a return of the affection ; 
whereas a cancerous tumour is a local evidence of a constitu- 
tional tendency to this affection, and the growth itself may 
spread and destroy the tissues in its neighbourhood, or be 
transferred to other and more remote parts of the body. 
My next remark is with reference to the prognosis; in 
forming wdiich, we have tw T o interests at stake, namely, our 
own reputation, and the welfare of those who seek our aid. 
With regard to ourselves, we should first ascertain whether 
the disease we are called upon to treat be cancerous or not 
in its nature ; and to arrive at a knowledge of this, let a 
small portion of the diseased mass be placed under the 
microscope, and its appearances compared w T ith plates de- 
lineating such structures, these being by acknowledged 
authorities ; and should the result of the investigation satisfy 
our minds that the disease is cancerous, w^e should not hold 
out any hopes of a radical cure being effected. The expe- 
rienced eye, however, can very often form a correct opinion 
of the nature of such growths without the aid of these 
instruments, yet is their use always to be advocated in 
minute anatomical investigations. 
WHAT TO DO AND WHAT NOT TO DO. 
By J. Hawthorn, M.R.C.V.S., Kettering. 
Sirs, — In looking back upon rather a long professional life, 
a few cases of disease very alarming to the owners of horses, 
but really requiring little, or the very simplest treatment, 
occur to my mind. The following is a specimen, w T hich 
should you think it interesting enough for insertion in the 
Veterinarian , may, perhaps, be followed by one or two 
more. A gentleman had a cart-horse affected with a large 
swelling of the sheath, and which was dressed with “ strong 
