THE CURE OF ROARING.

Otago Witness, Issue 3016, 3 January 1912, Page 16

THE CURE OF ROARING.

A practical demonstration of what is known as Dr Williams’s operation for the cure of “roaring” in horses was given at Plymouth recently by Professor Hobday, under the auspices of the Western Counties Veterinary’ Medical Association. It was explained that the object aimed at was to find a remedy to euro that annoying cause of unsoundness, which prevails more especially in the light horses, racers, and hunters. “ Roaring,” next to lameness, was almost the greatest bane of horseflesh, and the deterioration in value and usefulness was very great. To cure this complaint veterinary surgeons had devoted years of study. Various treatments had been tried, but none had properly succeeded hitherto without the aid of surgery. According to modern experimentation, a remedy was said to have at last been achieved —namely, that of removing the mucous membrane of the ventricle of the larynx on the side affected, causing the vocal cord to adhere to the side. “Roaring” was supposed to be—and veterinarians were generally agreed—caused by paralysis of the vocal cord, mainly on the left side. It would occur in both, due to defective nerve influence, owing in some ivay to malnutrition of tho nerve. , In tho demonstration the horses selected were a weight-carrying hunter 16 hands high, six years old, a “whistler”; and tho other an aged job horse, used for carriage work, a “roarer.” The horses were prepared by careful footling, fasting for about 12 hours previous to the operation. A straw bed having been provided, th? animal is east, the throat prepared externally with onsesthetics and antiseptics, the neck washed with hot water and soap, all the instruments immersed in boiling water to bo sterilised, and the portion of the throe* on which the operation is to be performed shaved with a razor. Chloroform is then administered, and the animal placed on its beck ready for the surgeon. The operation consists in making an incision into the muscles of the throat, which are dissected until the larynx is exposed. The ligament, between the cartilages is pierced and then cut through sufficiently he- show the internal view of the larynx. I TTie vocal cords show the one norma! and ; the other paralysed, confirming the dia.g- | noeis at the inferior portion, the nodule , ®f tbe cord now showing superior is cut just %t the point at the junction of the mucous

mcm.bra.no and tho cartilage, and a small incision mad© with the point of the knife. This is enlarged with the blunt end, afterwards the finger is inserted, and with r slight pressure the whole of the lining membrane of the ventricle is removed. Tho result of this is that the cartilage will adhere to the side of the adjoining cartilage, be kept back permanently in that position, becomes incapable of falling for-wai-d, the air in inspiration passes straight through into the lungs without meeting an obstacle, and no noise is produced. Afterwards the horse is allowed to recover ftom the chloroform. No stitching of the open wound is required; it will heal of itself in about three weeks. Tho animals were subsequently placed in airy loosc-bcxes. and within half an hour were feeding. Tho next morning they wane apparently all right, toth looking comfortable. No swelling had taken place, the breathing was calm and regular. The 'operations were noatlv done by the professor. and occupied about 20 minutes for each hor.e, the actual operation on the larynx taking from three to four minutes.— Mark Lane Express.