FIRING FOR SPAVIN. 
663 
could effect before be became lame.” — “ That can be done by deep 
firing which never was accomplished by superficial firing.” — “ He 
believed that the neurotomizing the part was the principal agent in 
the cure ; but still he had always thought that the artificial band- 
age thus produced was a most important agent in causing the 
absorption of osseous or other tumours.” 
Mr. Cheetham advocated firing in preference to the seton, 
which, regarded “ merely as a counter-irritant,” he thought “ was 
not equal to a blister.” The actual cautery was “ one of the most 
powerful of remedies.” — “ As to firing being a bandage, there was 
no doubt about the matter.” — “ Spavin was not so much a dis- 
ease of the mucous membranes, as it was primarily a ligamentous 
disease.” 
Mr. Holmes thought, in the use of the firing-iron and the 
seton, the distinction to be drawn was “the length of time the 
disease had existed, and the evident change of structure that had 
taken place. The great objection to firing was the blemish that it 
left, and the consequent diminution of value entailed.” 
Mr. Youatt thought that in spavin “ the seton might be most 
advantageously employed.” He reprobated the deep cautery 
lesions of Mr. Turner, but was fully impressed with the benefit 
said to accrue to the fired parts from the old and new skin growing 
tight and inelastic, and “ acting as a bandage” upon them. 
Mr. Daws preferred — “ for thorough-pins, spavins, and curbs,” 
— “ the iron beyond dispute.” But in firing he has rarely pene- 
trated the skin without having had cause to repent of it.” In 
two instances of “broken down” horses, fired for experiment, 
deep cautery lesions, such as were recommended by the Messrs. 
Turner, were followed by death. 
Mr. Beeson was the decided advocate of the seton. Con- 
joined with blisters, he has found it perfectly efficacious. He 
could safely say, he had not fired for fourteen years. 
The Weight of Evidence of the Veterinarians of the 
New School, afore-named, preponderates in favour of “ giving 
the fire” for spavin ; setons being for the most part regarded either 
as unadapted to the case, or as remedies inferior in point of efficacy; 
and blisters being set down lower still in the scale of curative 
agents. It therefore being a settled point that it is our duty or 
best policy to give the fire, the next question we have to ask our- 
selves — one that likewise fell under discussion in the course of 
the afore-mentioned debate — is 
To what Depth or Extent the Fire should be given ? 
From what we can collect from the old authors, some of them 
appear to have made pretty free use of the iron. Gibson speaks 
of the wound he made with the cautery being “ half-an-inch deep,” 
