THE CAUTERY AND THE SETON. 
303 
sues, in order to accomplish some therapeutical indications. It 
is often resorted to, in veterinary medicine, as a derivative in in- 
ternal chronic diseases, and in internal acute diseases, when the 
intensity of the inflammation has diminished — to irritate the lin- 
ing membrane, and to get rid of fistulous openings — to promote 
the adhesion of the walls of certain cavities which it is desirable 
to obliterate — to re-establish suppuration in a part where it has 
disappeared — to disperse chronic enlargements — and to remove 
certain pains and diseases, the precise seat of which cannot be 
determined. It is attended with decided advantage in the greater 
part of the cases in which it is employed. Vesicatories act only 
on the surface of the skin, and cannot be long continued. The 
seton acts on the skin and the cellular tissue at the same time, 
and, if it is necessary, can be carried to the greatest depth. 
It may be readily conceived that, if it is employed in order to 
remove some pain or disease, it should be applied at a certain 
distance from the suffering part. This also .should be the case 
when it is designed to allay chronic or acute inflammation any 
where ; nevertheless it should not be too far from the seat of 
disease : but when we wish to establish a certain evacuation or 
suppuration from any part, or to close fistulous openings, or to 
reduce certain engorgements, or to produce adhesion of certain 
tissues, it must be applied to the actual seat of disease. 
Setons may be placed under the skin in all parts of the body 
that are provided with a sufficient quantity of subcutaneous cel- 
lular tissue. They may sometimes be passed across muscular 
parts ; they may be placed on or under the jaws, in the poll, on 
the side of the face and neck, in the front and on the sides of 
the chest, and on the inside of the thighs. 
The material of the seton will vary with many circumstances. 
It consists ordinarily of a piece of riband or tape. In large ani- 
mals it should be almost of the size of the finger, and of a pro- 
portional size in smaller animals. Its length will necessarily 
vary according to the place at which it is applied, and the man- 
ner in which its extremities are disposed of, in order that the 
most abundant suppuration may be established. 
The necessary instruments are, a pair of scissors, a bistoury, 
and needles of various lengths ; and the material of the seton 
should have one end brought to a point, the more easily to pass 
through the needle, and a knot tied at the other end, that it 
may not be drawn through in any of the struggles of the animal. 
The twitch, and the holding up of one leg, will usually place 
the horse under sufficient restraint, when setons are to be passed 
along the jaw, or the neck, or at the brisket; the side line and 
other restraints will be necessary in severer cases. 
