PITHING THE ANIMAL 



293 



the median line. Place a wad of cotton in the forceps and 

 hold this in the left hand ready to cover the trephine open- 

 Pass a long narrow scalpel blade into the opening 



ing. 



Fig. 60. Method of quickly cutting across the brain stem with a long narrow 

 bladed scalpel while a wad of cotton is held in the forceps ready to crowd into the 

 trephine opening to check all loss of blood 



Fig. 261. The cotton is held down firmly in the trephine opening while a probe is 

 slipped in past the cotton and is moved quickly and thoroughly about in a circular 

 manner to destroy every part of the brain. If the cord is also to be destroyed this is 

 done_by passing a long fairly flexible wire (one-eighth inch soft brass rod) through the 

 trephine opening and out through the foramen magnum into the spinal canal. The head 

 and neck may be moved a little to assist in passing the rod down the spinal canal to 

 destroy the cord. 



and cut quickly across the brain stem. Remove the scalpel 

 and close the opening with the cotton. No blood should 

 escape. Into the upper end of the opening beside the cot- 



