SUBCUTANEOUS CAUDAL MYOTOMY. 81 



from following the canula out of the intestine and becoming 

 lodged at some point in the track of the wound to set 

 up inflammatory processes there. Before introduction, the 

 trocar should always be rendered sterile but should not bear 

 irritant antiseptics, which becoming lodged in the wound 

 tend to irritate the tissues and produce abcesses. Puncture 

 of the intestine is so often extremely urgent that deliberate 

 aseptic precautions are not always practicable and trocariza- 

 tion only too frequently results in abscesses in the abdominal 

 wall. Its prevention must depend chiefly upon the disinfec- 

 tion of the skin and instrument. It becomes important to 

 use an instrument which is clean in advance. If the one 

 shown in fig. 5 is well disinfected after using and the sheath 

 is filled with alcohol before it is screwed on, the instrument 

 will remain sterile until it is again unsheathed and then the 

 alcohol will quickly evaporate and leave it aseptic. 



21. SUBCUTANEOUS CAUDAL MYOTOMY. 

 FIG. 6. 



Object. The correction of curved tail. 



Instruments. Sharp straight tenotome, bandage. 



Technic. The point or points of curvature and their 

 extent are to be carefully noted by having the animal trotted 

 away from the operator. The curvature is generally due to 

 unequal development of the two levator or extensor muscles 

 Fig. 6 e, though quite rarely the depressors, /, may be 

 implicated. Confine the animal in stocks, or in default of 

 these, control by means of a twitch and sideline. Cleanse 

 and disinfect the tail and have it sharpty bent by an assist- 

 ant in the opposite direction to the curvature. Locate the 

 longitudinal furrow between the levator and depressor mus- 

 cles on the convex side and at the lower margin of the 

 levator and just above v, Fig. 6, insert the tenotome at the 

 6 



