SPAVIN. 
473 
What form of therapeutic agents are the most efficacious in 
combatting spavin? We answer, the chemical ones, such as 
mercury, iodine, and the mineral acids, etc. Cantharides, 
which occupies a prominent place in many of our text-books 
for the treatment of spavin, is, in my opinion, of very little 
value for this purpose. 
Our object in applying chemical agents to a joint affected 
with spavin is, as every practitioner knows, not with the object 
of removing , the osseous exostosis, but merely to assist nature 
in hastening the process of anchylosis; because a joint once the 
seat of inflammatory ostitis can never be restored to its pristine 
condition. 
Of the above mentioned chemicals I prefer the bichloride of 
mercury in solution, supplemented with camphor and oil of 
turpentine. The following is the formula : 5 Hydrarg. chlor. 
corro., §i ; sp. vini. rect., § vii ; hydrochloric acid, 3 i. Mix. 
Add the acid to the spirit and dissolve the mercury in the mix¬ 
ture, then add sp. vini. rect., 3 xxxvi ; gummi camphorse, 3 iv ; 
olei terebinthinse, 5 vi. Mix. Dissolve the camphor in the 
turpentine and then add to the spirit. This fluid is dispensed 
in six or eight ounce bottles, with instructions to apply a por¬ 
tion to the joint once or twice a day for a period of from two to 
four weeks if necessary. I have found that this compound has 
a tendency to quickly relieve the pain of spavin, and, further¬ 
more, it is a much more satisfactory method than that of firing 
every case in the beginning of the disease, as many cases will 
recover without blemish under this form of treatment. I find 
in country districts a considerable prejudice against the use of 
the hot iron in treating spavins, and in the case of valuable 
animals the owners will often resort to nearly every other means 
before resorting to its use. However, I am a firm believer in 
the efficacy of the hot iron in the treatment of spavin after 
other remedial agents have failed. The pointed pear-shaped 
iron is the one preferred by me, and during the operation it is 
introduced deeply into the exostosis. 
Cunean Tenotomy .—In cases in which the exostosis is very 
