ON POLYPI OF THE NOSTRILS. 
635 
possible; for our object is to produce as little irritation as may be 
in the membrane, and the actual cautery will be applied with 
considerable difficulty in the cavity of the nose. 
In very bad cases, when the tumour cannot be drawn without the 
nose, it may be necessary to slit up the ala or side of the nostril. 
It will be better, however, not to cut through the false nostril, for 
it consists of a duplicature of such thin integument, that the 
stitches can hardly be retained in it, when the horse will be con¬ 
tinually snorting at the least inconvenience. It will also be diffi¬ 
cult to bring the edges of this thin skin accurately together 
again, or, if this be effected, there is scarcely life enough in it 
for the parts readily to unite. The false nostril should be avoided, 
and the incisiou made along the lateral edge of the nasal bone, 
beginning at its apex or point. The flap will then conveniently 
turn down, so as to expose the cavity beneath; and there will be 
sufficient muscular substance to secure an almost certain union by 
the first intention. The nostril being opened, the pedicle will pro¬ 
bably be displayed, and a ligature may be passed round it, as 
already recommended ; or, if the pedicle be not actually in sight, 
it may probably be solicited or pulled down. 
A French surgeon has advised, if the pedicle is not even now 
to be readily got at, to apply the trephine higher up; but it 
should be recollected, that there is little or no chance of finding the 
pedicle in the superior meatus, and that, lower down on the side 
of the face, there is but one spot at which the trephine could be 
applied without its opening upon the interior of one or the other 
of the turbinators, where the pedicle never exists, and could not 
be got at. That spot is where, in the central meatus, the turbi¬ 
nated bones recede from each other, a little below the suture 
between the nasal and the superior maxillary, and about two- 
fifths of the distance from the apex of the nasal to the frontal 
bone. 
If, perchance, a fungous bleeding polypus should be met with, 
and it should be deemed right to detach it with the forceps, let 
the cautious procedure of the surgeon be adopted. While torsion 
is used let there be no pulling at the root. The pedicle will then 
give way at the weakest part, there will be no hcemorrhage, and 
there will be no lacerated membrane above, or detached bone, 
to produce malignant ulcer, or cancer, or glanders. Simple exci¬ 
sion is never to be permitted, on account of the impossibility of 
stopping the bleeding without the cautery, and the difficulty and 
danger of applying that within the nose. 
When a large polypus partially protrudes at the nose, and 
cannot be got fairly down, the farriers' method of cutting away 
all that can be got at should by no means be adopted. The 
