AN ENCYSTED TUMOUR AT THE BASE OF THE MOUTH. 71 
very deep and circumscribed situation offered several obstacles 
to the operation. First, the movements of the tongue and other 
parts would not admit of the use of the knife ; and, secondly, the 
depth and contracted and obscure position of the tumour would 
not admit of the use of scissors. On reflection I therefore saw 
that the best plan would be to try some instrument of a form 
adapted to the peculiarity of the case, and, therefore, ordered an 
instrument with a handle about eighteen inches in length, with a 
semilunar cutting edge about an inch and a half in length, to be 
made with a round, button-like corner, at each extremity, in the 
form of a chisel, bevelled off to the upper side, having a hole 
passing obliquely through, as near the cutting edge as possible, 
through which I passed a doubled portion of tough wire, so as to 
form a loop beyond the cutting edge. The horse was now cast, 
and the parts again examined. I then made my assistant pass 
the loop of wire over the tumour, and draw the tumour over the 
upper side of the cutting edge of the instrument, while I pressed 
the instrument back with the one hand, and drew the tumour to- 
wards its edge by the wire in my other hand. By this means the 
mucous membrane was cut close round the tumour, and the whole 
detached, with the exception of a small portion of cellular mem- 
brane, which, in consequence of its toughness, did not readily 
give way. It was therefore drawn towards the root of the tongue 
until it was within view, when it was divided by a probe-pointed 
bistoury, and the tumour completely removed. Little or no 
haemorrhage took place ; and, on the horse being let up and put 
into a loose box, he began to eat as if nothing had happened, and 
has continued daily to improve. During the afternoon of the 
operation and the following day he had some difficulty of swal- 
lowing and a slight frothing of the mouth, with some wheezing 
in his breathing ; but on the following day these symptoms had 
almost entirely disappeared, and he has since rapidly recovered. 
His diet was confined chiefly to mashes and gruel. Having con- 
tinued to improve, he was sent home on Saturday quite well. 
I may state that I was aided in my diagnosis in this case by 
one which occurred at the London Veterinary College while I 
was attending there, about twenty-five years ago. 
A bay horse, affected with symptoms somewhat similar to 
those described, was sent to the College by a respectable farrier, 
who lived about twenty miles distant, to see what could be done 
for him ; and, as it was suspected that there was some obstruction 
about the windpipe or larynx, it was proposed that tracheotomy 
should be performed, in order that the cause of the disease might 
be ascertained. To this the farrier’s son (who had brought the 
horse) consented, being given to understand that the operation 
