The management and treatment of the horse in the stable, field, and ...

198 The Management and Treatment of the Horse,
made sharp to allow of its being pushed through the
skin : sometimes, however, it is left blunt, and it is then
passed through the skin by an opening made with a
lancet. They are often used with a handle, into which
they are screwed, and in this way their course is more
certainly directed. In introducing a seton the skin is
first punctured transversely with a lancet, and the seton
needle is directed between the skin and muscles, its
course being favoured by the pulling out of the skin
by the left hand in front of the point of the instru-
ment. It is usually carried from a point above down-
ward to permit of a free discharge of the matter,
and when carried far enough a fresh incision
is made with the lancet to allow of its exit. This
is preferable to penetrating the skin simply with
a sharp needle, as the wounds thus made are often
so small that the pus cannot escape freely, and
becoming imprisoned produces a source of irritation.
The seton having been introduced, it is necessary
to fix it by some means ;
the most common way of
doing this is to tie both ends together, but this is
objectionable, as the animal may by rubbing get
the loop fast and tear it out, leaving an ugly tear.
The best way is to make a large knot at each end
of the tape, which should be about four inches longer
than the wound on each end, so that the matter
can be worked out by pulling the cord up and down.
In spavin and vaiious other forms of lameness they
are at times employed with great benefit in the
neighbourhood of the malady. Their effect is some-
times increased by smearing the seton with an