pplied as before.

The gold-beater's skin is more useful as a protection to the
unadherent than to the adherent eschar, as the former would be more
liable to be torn off by accident than the latter. The gold-beater's
skin must be removed in the manner already described, whenever the
subjacent fluid is to be evacuated, and must be reapplied after
touching the orifice with caustic.

The pain experienced on the application of the caustic is greater or
less according to the sensibility and size of the wound. In small
wounds it is trifling, and of short duration; it is more severe in
recent wounds than in ulcers; it soon subsides in every case, and
then the patient enjoys greater ease than would be experienced under
any other mode of treatment. Little or no pain is caused on applying
the caustic after evacuating the subjacent fluid of an unadherent
eschar. Altogether the pain inflicted by the caustic is far less than
is generally imagined, and forms scarcely an obstacle to its
employment.

It may be proper, in this place, to notice such circumstances as
render the employment of the caustic improper or inefficient. It is
improper to employ the caustic when the ulcer is too large to admit of
the formation of a complete eschar; or when it is so situated as to
render it impossible that the eschar should remain undisturbed, as
between the toes, unless, indeed, the patient be confined to his
bed;--or in cases attended by much inflammation, or by much oedema.

I have found no kind of caustic so manageable as the lunar caustic;
and this is best applied in the solid form. I have thought too, that
the newly prepared lunar caustic is more apt to dissolve on being
applied than that which has been longer made and more exposed to the
air; the latter is therefore to be preferred.

III. ON THE TREATMENT BY ESCHAR AND POULTICE.

In many cases in which it is impossible to adopt either the mode of
treatment by the adherent or the unadherent eschar, it is of great
utility to apply the caustic first and then a cold poultice made
without lard or oil: this plan is particularly useful in cases of
punctured wounds attended by much pain and swelling, and in cases of
recently opened abscesses. By this application the pain and swelling
are much subdued and a free issue is secured for the secreted fluid;
and in no case have I seen the original inflammation increased by it.

It is generally necessary to repeat the application of the caustic
ev