GLANDULAR ABSCESS E S . 
211 
chest which had been withdrawn last, pressed every day, in order 
to prevent the formation of abscesses, which are so frequent by 
the pus collected within the canal of a seton not finding free egress. 
The animal was only to be lightly worked, and not for long at a 
time. 
Notwithstanding all these precautions, the horse was brought 
back to the hospital on the 24th of the month, that is, eight days 
after he had been discharged, to be treated for a swelling of con- 
siderable size that had become developed within the last two days 
on the chest, over the course of the seton inserted on the right side. 
This swelling rose anteriorly as high as the glands at the 
entrance of the chest, and extended posteriorly about to the girthing 
place. It formed a mechanical obstacle to walking, in that it im- 
peded the freedom and extent of the movements of the limb under 
which it was situated. It was hot, and painful to the touch, and 
in some parts of its surface presented numerous small abscesses, 
evidently formed in the actual course of the seton. These multiplied 
purulent collections appeared to have been the nucleus round which 
the swelling had formed, which had commenced in the formation of 
a large lymphatic cord passing from one of the abscesses to the 
ganglions at the entrance of the chest. 
It is by no means unusual to see swellings, sometimes of no in- 
considerable size, follow upon the application of a seton under the 
chest : they almost invariably result from the inflammation of the 
surrounding cellular tissue, and rapidly diminish when suppuration 
is established. Consequently, there is no reason, in general, to be 
alarmed about them, unless the animal in which they exist is out 
of condition, that is to say, suffering from an impaired constitution, 
from poor or vitiated blood, or has been respiring an impure atmos- 
phere. But where from these enlargements one or more enlarged 
lymphatics are seen proceeding to the glands at the entrance of the 
chest, the veterinarian ought, in whatever state he finds the animal, 
to endeavour by every means in his power to get rid of these cords 
as rapidly as possible, in order to prevent the formation of deeply 
seated abscesses in the glands; for abscesses in this* part are but 
too likely to induce inflammation of the serous tissue which enters 
into the composition of the anterior mediastine, as we have already 
had occasion to observe : they may also open into the anterior of 
the thoracic cavity, and in both these cases bring on a more or less 
serious if not fatal attack of pleurisy. 
The first thing in the present case, therefore, to be done was im- 
mediately to lay open the sinus left by the seton, both before and be- 
hind, and to open the small abscesses that had formed in the substance 
of the swelling ; the lymphatic cord was then energetically rubbed 
with tincture of cantharides. No internal treatment was employed 
