178 
ON PARACENTESIS THORACIS. 
seton, says Mr. P., may serve Mr. Sewell, whose patients are all 
of one kind, and the property of wealthy individuals, to whom 
time is not an object; whereas his are hard-working coach 
and canal horses, who are often kept at work long after the lame¬ 
ness is evident.* In fact, his practice lies amongst diseases and 
aggravated lamenesses, which Mr. Sewell, he thinks, seldom sees. 
For such, then, he denies the power of the seton to produce the 
amount of irritation sufficient to effect a cure. As regards the 
pain from firing, this gentleman argues properly by putting the 
following question :—“ Which is worse,” (says he) ‘‘ the pain of 
curing, or the pain of working uncured ?” and the work of canal 
horses, within his practice, is no joke, the pace being, in the 
passage boats, nine and a half miles in the hour, as I can testify 
from experience. On the probability of accidents from casting 
horses to seton their legs, which is seldom necessary in firing, 
the observation of Mr. Pottie is worth notice; and, on the whole, 
the result of his own stirring practice” is in favour of the 
irons. 
REMARKS ON PARACENTESIS THORACIS, WITH 
SUCCESSFUL CASES. 
To the Editors of The Veterinarian f London, 
Piershill Barracks, Edinburgh, Mar. 8, 1838. 
Sir,—I beg leave to send you the following remarks and cases, 
and request that you will do me the favour to insert them in your 
valuable Journal at your earliest convenience. 
I am. Sir, your obedient servant, 
Alex. Black, V.S. 14th Light Dragoons. 
It is well known that inflammation of the lungs and their in¬ 
vesting membranes is one of the most common diseases incident 
to horses, and that effusion into the cavity of the thorax is a very 
frequent consequence of that affection. For the purpose of freeing 
the chest from the effused fluid, various means have been tried, 
and among others the operation of paracentesis thoracis. In 
medical practice, this had been had recourse to for a very long 
period before it was thought of being attempted in veterinary 
surgery ; and the small success which attended its application to 
the human subject afforded but little encouragement to those 
who were bold enough to try it. 
