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On the Treatment of Fistula of the Parotid Duct in' 
the Horse, followed by practical Considerations 
relative to the Means of Cure employed in Human 
Surgery. 
By M. Reynal, First V.S. to the Sixth Lancers. 
“ Sil est vrai que pour se constituer, la medecine v^terinaire a en recours a la 
m6decine humaine, si journellement encore elle lui fait de nombreux emprunts, 
elle lui a toujours offert et livre en retour, le fruit de ses observations, de ses re- 
cherches, et de ses experiences.” — BartMlemy. 
Prelimin ary Observations. 
In the course of our practice we have observed numerous cases 
of fistula of the parotid duct, all of which, without exception, 
have been cured by means of the simple treatment that we have 
employed. 
Not being satisfied with what has been said and written re- 
specting the cure and consequences of the lesions, we made known 
some of our observations to the concours of the Royal and Central 
Agricultural Society in the year 1841. They were reported by 
M. Barthelemy, sen. Since that period we have collected new 
facts and tried fresh experiments, which enable us to trace out an 
almost perfect history of the fistulous wounds of the parotid duct 
in the horse. 
We solicit all the attention of the learned society to our treatment, 
which differs essentially from that hitherto employed in veterinary 
and human surgery. By subjecting it to some slight modifications, 
that would be necessary to admit of its application to human 
surgery, we feel convinced that it might be made to produce more 
certain, more prompt, and much less doubtful results than the sur- 
gical means now generally made use of; and we shall be fully 
recompensed if, while endeavouring to throw light on an obscure 
point in our own practice, we should succeed in improving an 
operation so beneficial in relieving human suffering. 
Our essay will be divided into four parts: — 
In the first, we shall cast a rapid glance over the works hitherto 
published on this subject. 
In the second, and most important, we shall treat of fistulous 
wounds considered under the heads of causes, symptoms, progress, 
termination, and treatment. 
In the third, we shall narrate some of the numerous cases we 
have met with, and the principal experiments we have made with 
the view of throwing light on this point of surgery. 
And in the fourth and last, we shall endeavour to demonstrate 
the advantages which human medicine might derive from an 
adoption of the treatment we recommend. 
