350 
SOME CLINICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
tures, scarcely visible and often entirely concealed by the hairs. 
In some cases, when applied on articular thorough-pins, with 
very thick, indurated, partially ossified walls, in heavy draught 
horses used to a work requiring powerful efforts, a first applica¬ 
tion of the firing may not be sufficient. However, e\ en in 
these rebellious cases, needle cauterization always proves advan¬ 
tageous, it relieves the lameness to some degree.. 
& Second. Puncture and Iodine Injection. —This is used only for 
the tarsal tendinous thorough-pin. It is not always sure, but 
often gives good results. For instance, we find in our records, 
kept by our students, eight cases operated upon in that wa\. 
Among these, six were followed by a complete resolution of the 
tendinous synovial tumor, leaving no trace whatever of the 
treatment, in a lapse of times varying between two and six 
months; one failed, and another was only partly successful. 
We record here only these two last cases. 
Observation /.—A sixteen months old filly is brought to our 
clinic with a tarsal thorough-pin, which disfigures her and de¬ 
preciates her value. The tumor occupies the hollow of the 
hock, inside and outside, and extends downwards to 3 or 4 centi¬ 
meters of the chestnut; it is soft, fluctuating and produces no 
lameness. Thrown and secured, our assistant punctures, the 
tumor at the most dependent part, viz., on a level with the infe¬ 
rior cul-de-sac of the tarsal sheath. This puncture is made with 
the trocar No. 2 of Dieulafoy’s apparatus, m a direction 
“ oblique from the surface to the depth and from downwards up¬ 
wards.” An attempt is made to draw the synovia .with the 
syringe, without success; but, as the instrument is withdrawn, 
a few drops of synovia escape through the canula. The iodmed 
solution is then injectedf ; it was intended not to leave it more 
than three minutes, but after that time it is impossible to extract 
one drop of it either by aspiration or by pressure on the. tumor. 
Several other punctures are made, even in the supero-interna 
cul-de-sac , without positive result. A severe, inflammatory reac¬ 
tion followed this operation. To relieve it, the animal was 
placed in slings, and continued cold irrigations applied on the 
swollen hock. After two days, the pains subside. But the hoc 
remains swollen, and after forty-seven days the mare is returne. 
to her owner. The lateral faces of the hock are swollen, as is 
* A plan that we recommend to the principal director of the clinical department of our 
American veterinary colleges.— [Editor.] 
-j- This solution is composed of: Sublimate iodine, I part; alcohol, 15 parts , iodide o 
potassium, 2 parts; distilled boiled water, 30 parts. 
