CURSORY OBSERVATIONS ON THE COMPARATIVE 
VALUE OF THE SETON AND THE CAUTERY IN 
CASES OF SYNOVIAL DISTENTION. 
/3j/ Mr. Hugh Ferguson, London. 
N EVER, since the earliest history of veterinary surgery,liave its 
English practitioners been more busily engaged than of late in 
discussing the comparative merits of setoning and firing, as 
remedial operations for the removal of lameness. Each has its 
advocates and its merits. But it is much to be regretted, that 
the admirers of the seton, while trying to raise their favourite 
remedy to the rank which they, no doubt, think it really deserving, 
are, at the same time, using the most strenuous efforts to effect 
the total abolition of the actual cautery. The most powerful, 
and, we might add, from his situation the most influential, of 
these gentlemen, is Professor Sewell, of the London Veterinary 
College. I have frequently heard him say, that he would sooner 
quit the profession than be obliged to abandon the seton needle 
and replace it with that clumsy, vulgar-looking instrument, the 
firing-iron. 
How far he is justified in so uncompromisedly opposing the use 
of the actual cautery, those who have had experience in the ap¬ 
plication of both operations can alone be capable of forming a 
correct judgment. Mere theorizing avails but little, except in 
explaining the modus operandi of each. 
Among the cauterists, there is one who, by his long experience 
and the great success with which he has had recourse to the 
firing-iron, is as well calculated as he is willing to combat the 
doctrines advanced by the upholders of the seton—I need scarce¬ 
ly say, that I allude to Mr. Turner. 
To those who wish to be thoroughly acquainted with the 
opinions of these gemtlemen, as well as those of many other dis¬ 
tinguished members of the profession, I would recommend a 
perusal of the discussion which took place at the Veterinary 
Medical Association, on the reading of an Essay laid before that 
society during the session 183(1-7, by Mr. Mayer, jun., in which 
he expatiates largely on the comparative merits of the seton and 
actual cautery, as applicable for the removal or alleviation of 
lameness. It appears by the debate, that the clammy^ vulgar- 
looking firing-iron cedes not in the least to its more yolnhtd rival, 
the seton needle. 
My present object is, to give some testimony towards the 
superiority of cauterization over setoning, in cases of synovial 
