72 ANATOMY OF THE RABBIT 



in order to avoid severing the vessels and nerves in the axilla, 

 as stated in warning i, above. 



Method: Beginning at the pectoral region peel the cutaneous 

 maximus muscle laterad and caudad, transecting it along the 

 mid-ventral line to the umbilical region, then laterodorsad to 

 near the mid-dorsal line. The cutaneous maximus should 

 also be transected from the xiphoid process to the axilla of the 

 left superior limb. When the cutaneous maximus is lying in its 

 normal position this incision should begin at the xiphoid process 

 and pass dorsocraniad to that region which is not covered by 

 this muscle and lies at the dorsocaudal margin of the axilla. 

 Its artery, which passes laterad between the pectorals and 

 latissimus dorsi muscle and a group of lymph glands should 

 remain in the proximal end of the transected cutaneous maxi- 

 mus muscle. Remove any remaining fascia and fat and the 

 platysma muscle (a cutaneous muscle extending from the jaws 

 and throat to clavicle and sternum) so that the neck, thorax, 

 and cranial half of the abdomen have the muscles well exposed. 

 Insert a finger under the caudal margin of the pectoral muscles, 

 to explore them; then insert the grooved director and transect 

 all the pectorals, except the cranial portion. The levator 

 scapulae ventralis m. (3) should be transected later when it 

 comes convenient to do so, for this muscle limits the operator's 

 freedom while he is working in the axillary region. 



After the pectoral muscles have been transected, the tangent 

 margins of the pectoraHs major (86) and the pectoralis minor 

 (8c) are separated and all the pectorals reflected in order to 

 expose the vessels and nerves in the axilla. Clear the fat and 

 fascia away from these structures, but be careful not to injure 

 the trunk or branches of the vessels and nerves. The first of the 

 axillary structures exposed is the axillary vein, a thin-walled 

 flaccid vessel partly filled with very dark coagulated blood 

 (if the veins are not empty or have not been injected) , into which 

 the basilic and cephalic veins empty. The axillary artery 

 (i), a thick- walled vessel, which will be filled with injection 

 mass, lies between the axillary vein and the two most caudal 



