SOCIETY MEETINGS. 
377 
is the one the conditions would most likely prompt ns to have 
recouise to. I have frequently resorted to these without effect. 
I, h ave gone further with germicides even to a degree of poten¬ 
tial cautery and still with doubtful results. 
The one agent that has been successful with me in this as 
well as other forms of gangrene is the actual cautery. I have 
treated, these cases a number of times with the thermo-cautery 
when it seemed the entire foot was in an advanced stage of 
moist gangrene, even when sensation was so far destroyed ^that 
the animal would allow the hot iron to remain in the tissues 
for some time without the least resistance and when I thought 
treatment was entirely useless, and 24 hours later find the dis¬ 
ease not. only in check but every trace of gangrene gone, leav- 
ing only the resulting sores that required nothing more than 
the usual treatment for simple wounds. 
Various kinds of firing irons may be used. The thermo¬ 
cautery point that I have used is oval in shape, the largest di¬ 
ameter at the base being about one-half inch, and tapering 
slightly to a blunt point. I prefer to use it at quite a high 
temperature, even a white heat, and to puncture into the deeper 
tissues in various directions, in all the invaded tissues, being 
careful not to wound the important vessels and joints. Where 
the skin has sloughed, the cautery point at nearly a white heat 
is applied to all the denuded surface with deep punctures around 
the edges. If the disease has originated in the sole from a 
wound, as may happen, and has extended up to the coronary 
band and adjacent tissues, I remove all the sole and frog that 
has been loosened by the disease and if the sensitive sole is much 
diseased, puncture it even to the solar surface of the os pedis. 
Twenty-four hours after firing, if it has been sufficient, the pre¬ 
viously moist skin will be dry and the underlying tissue that 
has been soft and pulpy from infiltrated serum will be reduced 
in size and be firm to the touch with increased heat of the sur¬ 
face and will be soon followed by a healthy discharge and 
granulation. If at the expiration of 24 hours, some of the parts 
are still discharging red, turbid serum, are moist, cold and 
clammy, more firing is indicated. 
.After the destructive process has been arrested, cleanliness, 
antiseptics and astringents insure resolution. 
If the. case be an aggravated one and debility is 
marked, stimulants are indicated, and the liberal use of hypo¬ 
sulphite of soda will assist in arresting the fermentation of 
the blood. 
