REPORTS OF CASES. 
709 
REPORTS OF CASES. 
“ Careful observation makes a skillful practitioner, but his skill dies with him. By re¬ 
cording his observations , he adds to the knowledge of his profession , and assists by his facts 
in building up the solid edifice of pathological science. ” 
VERY LARGE EQUINE NASAL POLYPUS.* 
By Albert Babb, M. D. C., Springfield, Ill. 
On April 30, 1896, Mr. K— , of Riverton, brought a large 
brown ten-year-old gelding to my veterinary hospital for treat¬ 
ment. He presented a very grotesque appearance indeed, for 
while the left nostril was of normal dimensions, the right was 
distended to its greatest capacity by an immense fibroid growth 
which extended about an inch below its circumference. The 
owner said he noticed something growing there about three 
months prior to that time, but that much of its size had been 
attained in the last sixty days. He also stated that, since the 
weather became quite warm, the animal could not get enough 
air to enable him to do full work. 
After we settled the financial part of the transaction, which 
to the veterinarian in that year was not an unimportant affair, 
the patient was cast, and the operation begun. The neighbor¬ 
ing parts were cleansed with an antiseptic and the instruments 
placed in a solution of the same. With difficulty a sharp bis¬ 
toury was introduced, the cutting edge then turned outwards 
and upwards and an incision made from the margin of the nos¬ 
tril directly into the re-entering angle formed by the nasal pro¬ 
longation and the premaxillary bone. This procedure gave 
more space to dissect the base of the tumor from the ala of the 
false nostril to which it had securely grown. After the attach¬ 
ments below were separated with the scalpel, the poll mean¬ 
while being raised by an assistant to prevent any flow of blood 
into the larynx, the whole mass was quickly seized with the 
hands and removed by firm torsion. The horse was then al¬ 
lowed to get up and the wound in the nostril united by inter¬ 
rupted sutures. 
On examination the polypus proved to be conical in shape 
with a base six and one half inches in diameter and a length of 
twelve inches. The apex was attached to the turbinated bones 
while the upper half formed an elongated pouch, whose walls 
* Read before the Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association, Nov. 16, 1899. 
