FISTULA
.—Any ulcer having a SINUS or pipe of uncertain termination, the inside of which has acquired callosity, and from whence a matter or bloody sanies flows, or may be pressed out, is called a FISTULA. In its more immediate application, it appertains principally to the injury sustained upon the WITHERS of HORSES; pinched by the saddle, or bruised by the harness; in long and severe chases or journies with one, or long continued weight and friction with the other. A repetition of the first cause generally lays the foundation of great trouble; some expence, and no small share of anxiety: attended to upon the first injury, the inflammation frequently submits (and sometimes speedily) to the mildest class of REPELLENTS: a fomentation of hot vinegar twice or thrice, for ten minutes each time, or a few applications of strong VEGETO MINERAL, incorporated with a proportion of camphorated spirits, will generally prevent any farther cause of disquietude.
There is no one disease, or injury, to which THE HORSE is incident, more perplexing to the VULCANIANS of the old school or VETERINARIANS of the new, than a FISTULA; the formation and process of which is precisely thus. A repetition of the bruise and friction, or painful pressure upon the wither, having excited inflammation, NATURE makes an effort in her own favour; tumefaction or swelling ensues, and suppuration follows of course. From the bony structure of this particular part, a copious secretion of matter is in the first instance never obtained, or, indeed, to be expected. From the great difficulty of securing poultices so as to retain their situation, the progress of maturation is always tardy, and ultimately both partial and imperfect: the aperture, if self-made, is always exceedingly small, from which may be immediately traced with the probe, one or more pipes or SINUSSES in different directions, becoming more and more callous internally, according to the length of their standing, or the injudicious mode in which they may have been treated.
Various modes of treatment, and different directions for a certainty of cure, have been laid down by successive writers upon FARRIERY, and frequently with little success. Theory, it must be admitted, is one thing; the execution in PRACTICE is another. The VOLUME of EXPERIENCE opens to the mind of rumination, and professional emulation, a new page every day; that page now demonstrates the fact, that the most inveterate and long-standing FISTULA is to be firmly and infallibly cured, and the parts perfectly restored, by a mode easy in execution, and invariable in effect. Let a silver probe be passed in every possible direction, that the SINUSSES may be precisely ascertained; this done, let the probe be properly armed with lint, then plentifully impregnated with BUTTER of ANTIMONY, and carefully introduced in such state into each distinct sinus, (whichever way they divide or ramify;) when there, give the probe a turn, that every part may be equally affected; artificial inflammation will succeed, the internal CALLOSITY will be destroyed, and slough off in a few days from the sound parts. The vacuum may then be cleansed with equal parts of FRIAR'S BALSAM, and TINCTURE of MYRRH, by a long-necked syringe, once in three or four days; and the WOUND being daily dressed with the precipitate digestive ointment, insinuated with lint rolled round the probe, and when properly inserted, slipt off with the force of the finger and thumb into the wound, and covered with a sticking plaister to keep it firm, incarnation will be gradually promoted, and COMPLETE CURE certainly follow.