ON THOKOUGH-PIN, WINDGAIX, 8cc. 259 
Generally speaking, I have nothing- to do with the lotions 
and warm fomentations, simple or compound, which are recom- 
mended by those who attribute the appearance of the lesions to 
inflammation of the synovial membrane ; and I have nothing to 
do here with those acute and painful inflammations which arise 
from distention of the articular envelopes : but I do, in recent 
cases, use cold lotions, and as cold as I can make them, and 
sometimes continue the application of them for a considerable 
period. I am not aware of any medicaments, called astringents, 
which much augment the salutary power of the cold water ; yet 
I do not altogether neglect the application of them, such as the 
sub-acetate of lead, the sulphate of iron, oak, and willow bark. 
Spirituous infusions, and particularly that of camphor, are rarely 
or never employed by me, nor the volatile oils of turpentine and 
lavender, whether pure or lowered in strength. They are some- 
times injurious in the early stage of the tumour, and they produce 
no good effect in its more advanced state; that from which I 
derive the greatest benefit is compression, applied by means of 
linen bandages ; but it is not every coachman or groom that 
properly applies them. The bandage is generally too tight above 
and below, and not sufficiently so on the seat of disease. The 
cold lotion is continued as long as the horse wears the bandage. 
Windgalls of recent formation will frequently yield to the united 
influence of compression and cold ; and we cannot too diligently 
or too long employ those admirable agents. One of the most 
useful of the astringents is the Provence rose, macerated in 
rough but not acid red wine. 
If the windgalls, or thorough-pins continue to grow notwith- 
standing these applications, and especially if they assume an 
indolent character, it would be lost time to persist in this mode 
of treatment. Vesicatories composed of cantharides with am- 
moniacal liniment should then be resorted to, and applied with 
more or less frequency and severity, according to the state of the 
case : there will, however, be no necessity to blemish the patients. 
These applications having been made three or four times, and 
the tumours still remaining soft and not diminishing, there is but 
one remedy more, and that is the firing-iron. The effect of the 
cautery, like that of the blister, may be transient or permanent, 
according to the manner in which it is employed. If the usual 
precautions are taken not to penetrate through the skin, it is 
comparatively seldom that much permanent good will be ef- 
fected — little more will be done than to deprive the skin of a 
part of its suppleness, and it will not be so distensible as before. 
It is true, that this is doing good ; but much more important 
results may be obtained by another way of firing, and that is 
