Warts are frequently a source of annoyance, chiefly, however, from their unsightly appearance. They are seldom troublesome to the dog, unless they come on the eyelid or near the genitals. When not too large, they may be safely removed by snipping them off at their base with a sharp pair of scissors. If they are in groups, it is not advisable to remove more than two or three at one time, taking off a few each day or two until they disappear. When too large to remove with the scissors, they may be strangled by winding a very small and fine rubber band tightly around the base of the wart as many times as you conveniently can, and in a day or two it will drop off without further trouble. Should the excrescence be of such shape that the band will not remain in place, it can be lightly scored at the base with a sharp knife in such a manner that the band will hold. I have frequently removed unsightly excrescences by this means, both from men and animals, with the best of results. I believe this method far superior to that of tying with silk, especially when the operation is intrusted to awkward hands.

Warts may also be safely removed by lightly touching them once a day with a stick of lunar caustic until they disappear; but this is often rather a tedious operation, and I do not advise it except when the morbid growth is too flat to afford holding-ground for the rubber band. This cauter-ant is the only one that I dare advise the inexperienced to use; in fact, I know of no other that is always reliable and perfectly safe, even when in experienced hands.

Many veterinarians use other agents to remove abnormal growths, especially when they appear near the genitals. One of these, chromic acid, I believe to be a very dangerous substance, even when applied in very small quantity. Experiments by eminent practitioners show that this acid readily enters the system, and the result is a deposit in the kidneys of an irritant that often causes serious harm, and, if the quantity used is considerable, death is very apt to ensue. The milder and equally efficacious remedies should have the preference.

Carbolic acid is also a grreat favorite with many for this purpose, but for reasons already given I must condemn its use.