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The Surgical Treatment of Roaring
EDITORIAL ARTICLES.
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in countless numbers; and hence, when a practitioner finds that every sample of blood or spleen pulp contains myriads of bacilli with the characters previously described, he may without doubt or hesitation diagnose anthrax. Moreover, if he has had experience sufficient to give him confidence in his own ability to stain, when he does not find myriads of these bacilli in the fresh blood or spleen pulp he may conclude that the cause of death has not been anthrax. One reason why it is desirable that the examination of the blood should be undertaken by the practitioner under whose observation the case comes, is that there are then-that is while the carcase is still fresh-fewer chances of error than when a sample of blood or a piece of spleen is sent by post for examination in a laboratory. This is especially the case in the summer months, for ill the presence of putrefactive organisms, and especially when air is excluded, as in a full and tightly corked bottle, the anthrax bacilli soon die and degenerate. When suspected anthrax material has to be sent for examination to distances involving a delay of one or two days, it is therefore better to take fresh blood or spleen plup and spread it in the thinnest possible film on a number of cover-glasses or microscope slides, which, as soon as the film is dry, may be forwarded by post. By this means the development of adventitious organisms in the film, and the degeneration of the anthrax bacilli, provided these are present, are prevented.
THE SURGICAL TREATMENT OF ROARING.
IT will be learned with regret that Moller's operation for the cure of roaring in horses has not yielded the results which were hoped for. During the early part of last year the principal veterinary surgeon to the British army gave currency through the medium of the lay press to the statement that he had devised an operation which was likely to mark a new era in laryngeal surgery, and a few months later it was intimated that the operation consisted in resection of the paralysed vocal cord. In the September and December numbers of this Journal for last year it was pointed out that this reported" new operation," which was designated" Fleming's operation," had been previously practised and discarded as useless by more than one continental veterinary surgeon. At the same time we published an abstract of a monograph on "Roaring" by Dr Moller of the Berlin Veterinary College, describing an operation which, in the hands of the author, had yielded very favourable results. This operation consisted in resection of the left arytenoid cartilage (which had been previously practised by GUnther), and the employment of a tampon tracheotomy tube with the object of preventing the entrance of blood or food materials into the trachea and lung.
342
EDITORIAL ARTICLES.
Moller's operation appears to have been substituted for the previously practised resection of the vocal cord in the treatment of the army horses, and it was hoped that the experiment would yield results as favourable as those said to have been obtained in Berlin. Great reticence is being maintained on this head by the officials who have superintended and carried out the army operations-a reticence which is very remarkable considering how industriously the rumour was circulated that the principal veterinary surgeon had devised a "new operation" for the cure of roaring. It is, however, reported unofficially that the operation as practised in the army has yielded most unfavourable results, and that it is to be discontinued. The larynx of a horse upon which the operation had been performed recently came into the possession of Professor Walley, who found that the mucous membrane and submucous tissue in the position of the excised left arytenoid cartilage were greatly thickened, and that the right arytenoid cartilage had fallen somewhat inwards. Subsequent to the operation the respiration of this horse became so much impeded that tracheotomy had to be performed. A commIttee appointed by the Midland Counties Veterinary Medical Association has issued an entirely unfavourable report regarding three horses operated upon in May last and examined four months afterwards. All three animals continued to be pronounced roarers, and all had a copious discharge from the nostrils and a distressing cough. The committee reported that in their opinion none of the horses had experienced any benefit from the operation, and that they exhibited more distress under exertion than roarers of about the same degree under ordinary circumstances. It is hardly open to believe that the non-success of Moller's operation in this country can be ascribable to the manner in which it has been performed, and we fear it must be concluded that it is, except possibly in occasional instances, as valueless as the earlier modes of operating practised by GUnther and Stockfleth. Dr Moller in his monograph published last year claimed that the operation had removed the abnormal respiratory sound in twenty-two out of thirty horses operated upon, but we have not seen any later notice regarding the ultimate fate of these animals. Should it transpire that in Dr Moller's own hands a large majority of the cases operated upon are materially benefited, it will have to be concluded that some important details have been neglected in performing the operation in this country.
THE ABOLITION OF PRIVATE SLAUGHTER HOUSES. International Veterinary Congress, which held its fifth session at Paris in September last, unanimously passed a resolution in favour of the abolition of private slaughter houses, and the replacement of these
THE
34 1
in countless numbers; and hence, when a practitioner finds that every sample of blood or spleen pulp contains myriads of bacilli with the characters previously described, he may without doubt or hesitation diagnose anthrax. Moreover, if he has had experience sufficient to give him confidence in his own ability to stain, when he does not find myriads of these bacilli in the fresh blood or spleen pulp he may conclude that the cause of death has not been anthrax. One reason why it is desirable that the examination of the blood should be undertaken by the practitioner under whose observation the case comes, is that there are then-that is while the carcase is still fresh-fewer chances of error than when a sample of blood or a piece of spleen is sent by post for examination in a laboratory. This is especially the case in the summer months, for ill the presence of putrefactive organisms, and especially when air is excluded, as in a full and tightly corked bottle, the anthrax bacilli soon die and degenerate. When suspected anthrax material has to be sent for examination to distances involving a delay of one or two days, it is therefore better to take fresh blood or spleen plup and spread it in the thinnest possible film on a number of cover-glasses or microscope slides, which, as soon as the film is dry, may be forwarded by post. By this means the development of adventitious organisms in the film, and the degeneration of the anthrax bacilli, provided these are present, are prevented.
THE SURGICAL TREATMENT OF ROARING.
IT will be learned with regret that Moller's operation for the cure of roaring in horses has not yielded the results which were hoped for. During the early part of last year the principal veterinary surgeon to the British army gave currency through the medium of the lay press to the statement that he had devised an operation which was likely to mark a new era in laryngeal surgery, and a few months later it was intimated that the operation consisted in resection of the paralysed vocal cord. In the September and December numbers of this Journal for last year it was pointed out that this reported" new operation," which was designated" Fleming's operation," had been previously practised and discarded as useless by more than one continental veterinary surgeon. At the same time we published an abstract of a monograph on "Roaring" by Dr Moller of the Berlin Veterinary College, describing an operation which, in the hands of the author, had yielded very favourable results. This operation consisted in resection of the left arytenoid cartilage (which had been previously practised by GUnther), and the employment of a tampon tracheotomy tube with the object of preventing the entrance of blood or food materials into the trachea and lung.
342
EDITORIAL ARTICLES.
Moller's operation appears to have been substituted for the previously practised resection of the vocal cord in the treatment of the army horses, and it was hoped that the experiment would yield results as favourable as those said to have been obtained in Berlin. Great reticence is being maintained on this head by the officials who have superintended and carried out the army operations-a reticence which is very remarkable considering how industriously the rumour was circulated that the principal veterinary surgeon had devised a "new operation" for the cure of roaring. It is, however, reported unofficially that the operation as practised in the army has yielded most unfavourable results, and that it is to be discontinued. The larynx of a horse upon which the operation had been performed recently came into the possession of Professor Walley, who found that the mucous membrane and submucous tissue in the position of the excised left arytenoid cartilage were greatly thickened, and that the right arytenoid cartilage had fallen somewhat inwards. Subsequent to the operation the respiration of this horse became so much impeded that tracheotomy had to be performed. A commIttee appointed by the Midland Counties Veterinary Medical Association has issued an entirely unfavourable report regarding three horses operated upon in May last and examined four months afterwards. All three animals continued to be pronounced roarers, and all had a copious discharge from the nostrils and a distressing cough. The committee reported that in their opinion none of the horses had experienced any benefit from the operation, and that they exhibited more distress under exertion than roarers of about the same degree under ordinary circumstances. It is hardly open to believe that the non-success of Moller's operation in this country can be ascribable to the manner in which it has been performed, and we fear it must be concluded that it is, except possibly in occasional instances, as valueless as the earlier modes of operating practised by GUnther and Stockfleth. Dr Moller in his monograph published last year claimed that the operation had removed the abnormal respiratory sound in twenty-two out of thirty horses operated upon, but we have not seen any later notice regarding the ultimate fate of these animals. Should it transpire that in Dr Moller's own hands a large majority of the cases operated upon are materially benefited, it will have to be concluded that some important details have been neglected in performing the operation in this country.
THE ABOLITION OF PRIVATE SLAUGHTER HOUSES. International Veterinary Congress, which held its fifth session at Paris in September last, unanimously passed a resolution in favour of the abolition of private slaughter houses, and the replacement of these
THE