5 02 
REPORTS OF CASES. 
though they acknowledged the good points of this procedure, would 
seem it a mistake to discard the knife. Dieckerhofif employs the 
hemp string for the ablation of enlargements with best results. 
In an article entitled “Removal of Caulkboil by Ligature,” in 
in Vol. xi, page 121 ol the American Veterinary Review, 
an allusion was made to the effect that I would repeat the exper¬ 
iment which I did, and having attained gratifying results I will 
briefly describe two cases. 
If the whole process consisted simply in applying the liga¬ 
ture, any one, with a little dexterity, could perform it, as there is 
no anatomical knowledge required, but should a layman attempt 
the ablation he would soon learn that more than general know¬ 
ledge is necessary to finish the real task, namely, the healing 
part, consequently would be oblige to call in a specialist. 
Case I.—Two years ago I treated a dray horse, middle age, 
with fistulous withers and caulkboil. Whether the fistula origin- 
ated from ‘the ill fitting saddle cushion alone, or whether the 
caulkboil on the left elbow, hard and suppurating for over five 
months had anything to do with it is a question, though it is im¬ 
probable. At least the owners claimed to have noticed some 
winding blood vessels (presumably lymph vessels) running up and 
down the shoulder toward the tumefied and slighty suppurating 
capped elbow, indicating a metastatic development. A thera¬ 
peutic interferance was not necessary, as there was no general 
morbid symptoms present beyond a mopish cautious movement 
in turning the body which aroused some suspicion. Upon re¬ 
lieving the withers of its corruption and decayed tissue, the 
wound was washed, dried off carefully and well moistened with 
solution of resorcin 3 in 5 twice per day. In six days the horse 
made a fair change for the better, so that his behavior and the 
aspect of the sore withers permitted an additional encroachment 
on his organism, that is the application of the elastic ligature at 
the base of the caulkboil which I encircled twice with a rubber 
tubing of 4 millimeter diameter, stretched it nearly to its full ex¬ 
tent and tied the ends in a double knot. The tumor dropped off 
on the twelth day; during this time it became somewhat larger 
