RECENT VETERINARY LITERATURE. 
477 
gically clean operation, followed by cold water irrigation, if 
weather permits ; and with this treatment expects to have com¬ 
plete healing in about two weeks. In this article seven opera¬ 
tions are reported with the following results : two cases of ring- 
bone, operations failed to give good results, there being anchy¬ 
losis and of course some mechanical lamenessone case of 
navicular disease, successful ; four cases of tendonitis, all suc¬ 
cessful. Dr. Dowe concludes with the suggestion that we 
should not perform this operation when it is unnecessary—a 
very good suggestion. 
In the same number of this journal Dr. W. T. Campbell 
reports upon protargol as a new treatment for fistula. This is 
described as a light yellowish powder, freely soluble in water 
and a derivative of silver, less irritating than the nitrate. Dr. 
Campbell reports two cases of fistula of the withers and one 
quittor treated with this agent. I might suggest in criticism 
that the results obtained from two cases of fistula cannot be 
taken as evidence of much importance in estimating the value of 
a new treatment; but, on the other hand, Dr. Campbell is to be 
commended for reporting his experience, and if members of this 
association decide to do any experimenting along this line in 
the near future, we should all be glad to learn their results at 
our next meeting. 
Dr. L. A. Merillat, in the May number of the American 
Veterinary Review makes some interesting statements con¬ 
cerning the use of chloroform upon horses. He notes that the 
time required for reaching surgical anaesthesia is usually stated 
as from 15 to 40 minutes. Moller gives 7 minutes with 35 
grammes of chloroform as his shortest record, and the average 
among 126 patients varied from 18 to 22 minutes. Comment¬ 
ing upon this, Merillat states that he has never failed to obtain 
profound anaesthesia in less than three minutes and frequently 
in 30 seconds. After some discussion and comparison of slow 
and rapid methods, he concludes that the dangers are scarcely 
worth mentioning if proper care is taken, and that laboring over 
a patient for 20 to 40 minutes is at least unnecessary. 
