200 
NASAL POLYPUS. 
which was evidently covered over by the mucous membrane. 
Its size could not be exactly ascertained, but we came to the 
conclusion that it was a nasal polypus, and which w T e con- 
sidered might ultimately kill the mare were it not removed. 
The owner being reluctant to have the operation performed, 
alterative medicine was administered, and continual fomenta- 
tions and steaming the nostrils persevered in. This treatment 
was seemingly attended with some benefit, as the discharge 
became more copious, and thereby afforded a little relief to 
the breathing. All this palliative treatment, however, could 
clearly have no permanent benefit, and as the life of the mare 
was still in jeopardy, an operation was decided on. 
The difficulty of breathing was such that we thought it 
would be unsafe to cast the mare without first opening the 
trachea. She was, however, first thrown, and then it was 
found absolutely imperative that tracheotomy should be 
immediately performed. This accomplished, Mr. Bowman 
proceeded to extract the polypus by slitting up the false 
nostril, and then, with a curved, short-bladed, but long 
handled instrument, he succeeded in cutting away piecemeal 
about six ounces of a softish, and in part fibro-cellular, tumour. 
With this was a marrow- like substance, which I am led to 
believe was, to a great extent, a simple, plastic, sub-mucous 
exudation. The hemorrhage was very slight, no more blood 
being lost than could be expected from a laceration of the 
Schneiderian membrane. A few cold water injections were 
used, after which sutures were employed to unite the wound 
in the false nostril, which completed the operation. The 
mare was greatly relieved, so much so, that on closing the 
tracheotomy tube she breathed very freely through both 
nostrils. The trachea was kept open, however, for about 
three weeks, at the expiration of which time all swelling had 
passed away, and every appearance of nasal obstruction was 
removed. The w r ound freely cicatrized Since her recovery 
the owner has bred from her, and there has been no recur- 
rence of the untoward symptoms. 
I am indebted to Mr. John Gamgee for the following par- 
ticulars relating to this subject. 
HISTORICAL AND CRITICAL REMARKS ON NASAL POLYPUS. 
By J. Gamgee, M.R.C.V.S., London. 
The learned Adams, in his Commentaries on ‘The Seven 
Books of Paulus ^Egineta,’ says, that “ Plippocrates de- 
scribes five species of polypus. The first is represented to 
