Encyclopaedia Britannica, or, a Dictionary of arts, sciences, and miscellaneous literature : enlarged and improved. Illustrated with nearly six hundred engravings > Volume 8, ELE-FOR

454
Operations.
169
Situations
proper for
rowels.
F A R R I E R Y.
170
When im¬
proper.
171
Setons.
172
Their ufe.
173
Mode of in.
troducing
them.
, rowel has been inferled. Thus, in inflammation of the
lungs, after copious bleeding, a rowel in the cheft, like
a blifter in the human body, is found to have coniider-
able elfedl: in checking the progrefs of the difeafe.
Rowels may be placed in molt of the flelhy parts of
the body ; but they are molt commonly inferted in the
belly, the breaft, the infide of the thighs, the outfide
of the (boulders, and the hips. They are fometimes
placed between the jaw-bones, below the tongue 5 but
this is very improper, as a good fuppuration can feldom
be brought on in this place.
It is fometimes found neceflary to make feveral rowels
at the fame time ; but they (hould always be placed, as
nearly as poflible, to the feat of the affediion which they
are intended to relieve.
Befides dangerous inflammations, rowels are found
ferviceable in large fwellings of the hind legs, in ob-
ftinate cafes of greafe, and in drains of the (boulder.
Though rowels are thus found extremely ufeful in
many cafes, they are, like many other operations per¬
formed on brute animals, fometimes made where they are
unneceflary or improper. Where there is confiderable
debility, the infertion of a rowel would be very injudi¬
cious, as it would not fuppurate kindly, and ft’s the dif-
charge produced would tend dill farther to increafe
the debility. The difeharge in thefe cafes is ufually
thin and ichorous j fometimes they are perfedlly dry,
and not unfrequently a mortification is produced.
When a rowel is found to be attended with any of
thefe effedls, it mud be immediately removed, and the
parts mud be fomented with a warm decodtion of the
chamomile-flowers, and fome dimulating herbs j or
mud be bathed with fpirit of wine or oil of turpentine.
If gangrene fliould have come on, it will befides be ne¬
ceflary to adminider cordial and drengthening reme¬
dies.
Setons are inferted through an opening made in two
oppofite parts of the (kin, and the extraneous body in¬
troduced is a cord.
The opening is made by means of a (harp-pointed in-
druraent with an eye at the other end for receiving the
cord. The ddes of the indrument mud be proportion¬
ed to the opening to be made, and the fize of the cord
to be inferted.
Setons are particularly ufeful for the purpofe of gra¬
dually draining off matter from abfeeffes or fuppurating
tumours, that are either fo deeply feated as not to be
eafily opened in any other way, or fo large that the
fudden difeharge of matter from them while opened by
the knife, would be attended with bad confequences.
They are bed employed in large abfeeffes of the back
withers, and the upper part of the neck behind the
ears. Setons are alfo attended with the advantage ef
draining off the matter without^expofing the infide of
the abfeefs to the air.
The method of inferting the feton for the purpofe of
opening an abfeefs is this. When it is found that there
is a confiderable accumulation of matter, the needle,
furnidied with a cord of the proper fize, is to be intro¬
duced at the highed part of the tumour, and brought
out towards its lowed part, fo that the matter may more
eafily drain off. The cord, which mud previoufly be
rubbed with dimulating ointment, is now to be cut
from the eye of the needle, and then fadened together
at both ends, to prevent its being pulled out; but if
3
Part III.
the cord (hould not admit of being thus tied, a fmall nr
button of wood may be fadened on each end. It is
better, however, if poflible, to tie the ends together, as
every time the fore is dreffed, the feton requires to’be
drawn a little round. When the difeharge appears to
be nearly flopped, except what evidently arifes from the
prefence of the cord, this may be gradually removed
by drawing out a Angle thread of it at every drefiing. ’
In introducing the needle, great care mud be taken
to avoid large blood-veffels and nerves ; and where
there is a danger in encountering thefe, it is better to
pafs the needle through a (heath. This may eafily be
done, by firfi making a fmall opening with a lancet at
the upper part of the tumour j and through this intro¬
ducing the (heath, which is to be pufiied down till it
reaches the part at which the needle is intended to
come out. The needle in this way will pafs through
the (heath without danger of wounding any important
nerve or veffel.
Chap. V. Of Firing.
This operation confifls in applying to the (kin, orr;^74
other parts of the body, a metallic inflrument heated ^
to a greater or leffer degree of rednefs. The inflru¬
ment is called a cautery, and the operation was well
known among the ancient furgeons, by the name of the
actual cautery.
The indruments employed for firing are ufually made
ef iron, fometimes of copper j but iron is to be prefer¬
red. They are of various forms, according to the part
to which they are to be applied, and the purpofe for
Avhich the operation is to be performed. Thefe will be
confidered in deferibing the cafes to which firing is ap¬
plicable.
The operation is found of ufe on feveral occafions : its ufel
id, In order to oppofe the progrefs of mortification.
With this view a cautery (haped like a knife, with a
blunt edge and a thick back, is to be employed. This
form will alfo anfwer for many other cafes. There
(hould be feveral inflruments of the fame kind, that
when one becomes too cool, another may be ready of
the proper degree of heat. The heat of the iron in¬
tended for the prefent cafe (hould be that of a cherry-
red. . In applying the iron, the parts adjoining to the
mortified place are to be paffed over with the edge of
the inflrument in fucceflive parallel lines, fo as the heat
may penetrate to the living parts, and thus produce
fuch a degree of healthy a&ion as may enable them to
throw off the mortified dough. When the iron has
been applied for a fufficient time, which mud be regu¬
lated by the nature of the part, and the extent of mor¬
tification, the wound is to be covered with a pledget
fpread with fome flimulating ointment.
2d, Firing is employed to brace the (kin, and to
flrengthen the finews. The inflrument above deferibed
is ufed on this occafion, but its heat mud be fomewhat
greater. The mode of applying it is to pafs the edge
lightly and quickly over the Ikin, deferibing parallel
lines from one end of the part to the other. When one
iron has been ufed in this wray, a frefh one is to be
taken, and made to retrace the lines find formed, be¬
ginning where the lad iron left off 5 and this is to be
repeated as often as appears neceffary, taking care not
to deflroy the texture ef the Ikin. It is recommended
by