396 
.T. T. DUNCAN 
able to lift its tail. About the ninth .lay the skin becomes yel¬ 
lowish, and beads of amber-colored lymph exude, similar to that 
which was introduced. Occasionally a longer time is required for 
the exudate to appear; but when it does inoculation is considered 
to be successful, and the second stage is complete. 
“There are now two courses open to the operator, and much of 
the success of the operation depends on which he will adopt. He 
may allow the process to run its course, which will generally be 
gangrene of the end of the tail. I do not advise this process, but 
find the best plan to be to remove the end of the tail when inocu¬ 
lation is once fairly established. There are cases in which this 
must be done even earlier, and there are others in which it may 
have to be accomplished more than once, as, for instance, when 
the sudden setting in of coldness of the end of the tail indicates 
the death of the part. 
“ Carefully examine the end of the tail. The part to come 
off may not be cold, but it will be wet with exudate and probably 
somewhat discolored for an inch or so above it. I find that where 
amputation is practised early, say on the twelfth to the fourteenth 
day, it is not necessary to make the division more than a finger’s 
breadth or so above the upper incision made in inoculating. 
“ The amputation should be followed by profuse bleeding; if 
not, amputate higher up till bleeding follows. Neglect of this 
measure is apt to be followed by gangrene. 
“After amputation many will heal without further inconven¬ 
ience. In the majority, however, the stump will swell (and so 
long as it remains warm no anxiety need be felt), suppuration set 
in, and a small portion of tail thrown off. This, and the forma¬ 
tion of abscesses on any part of the tail, are not to be feared. 
Only wash with carbolised water twice or thrice a day and dip 
the end of the J;ail in a strong solution of carbolic acid after 
milking. 
“ The abscess following exudate deposit may be an ordinary 
sequel of inoculation, or it may be the result of external injury. 
If from an external injury, it may appear on any part of the body. 
So long as an abscess forms, no danger is to be apprehended ; but 
if instead of abscess you get extension of the exudate, loss of 
