PENETRANT CAUTERIZATION IN THE TREATMENT OF 
LAMENESS FROM OSTITIS. 211 
diate vicinity of diseased tissues be sure that the cautery 
touches solid structures and sears them. 
Be. careful that the leg is always in the same position while 
operating, otherwise the perforation through the integument 
might come over another part and thus an important bursae be 
punctured. 
In using irons, of which there should be at least three, the 
fire must be close at hand and there should be assistants to 
■attend to the heating and passing of them to the operator. 
Apply pressing but lightly and do not hold in one spot too 
long, guarding against severe radiation of heat which still has 
much to do with unsightly blemishes. 
It is wonderful how severely one can cauterize a diseased joint 
in this way, setting up a severe inflammatory action and have 
no bad results. But much judgment is required in deciding the 
seventy which is called for in each individual case. Young 
animals do not require such severe cauterization as older 
patients, and intense swelling and sloughing of the tissues 
might be produced. Nature needs assistance of varying inten¬ 
sity, according to many conditions which are readily apparent. 
It is well to bring about such an action as will be pretty well 
confined to the joint affected and not cause a severe swelling of 
tne whole limb, for the reparative powers of nature do not ac¬ 
complish much while the whole limb is dropsical. 
A blister, composed of equal parts of biniodide of mercury 
and cantharides, mixed with one to five of lard, should be ap¬ 
plied immediately after the operation to the whole joint, but it 
need not be very thoroughly rubbed in that part which has 
been punctured deeply. The patient is then placed where he 
will be kept quiet and the usual attention given him. He should 
not be walked more than a short distance, as air would be 
pumped in by this process. 
After the blister has been washed off he should be placed in 
a roomy box-stall and kept perfectly quiet for at least a month; 
if the filing has been at all severe, and it is necessary to tell the 
owner not even to lead him out to water. If he has any ten- 
