1 86 SUBCUTANEOUS AMPUTATION. 



be corrected or is not so readily overcome as is the amputa- 

 tion of the limb. 



Technic. Our larger herbivorous animals being devoid 

 of a clavicle, the anterior limb is attached to the thorax by 

 means of the skin and muscles only and is therefore compar- 

 atively easily amputated. Attach a cord to the pastern of the 

 limb, the shoulder of which lies most exposed or is most 

 readily reached and have one or two assistants exert traction 

 on it and draw the limb out as far as possible with safety to the 

 mother. Insert one hand armed with the hooked embry- 

 otomy knife up to the top of the scapula or as nearly thereto 

 as can be reached, the knife being well guarded in the palm 

 of the hand which rests against the limb of the foetus ; press 

 the knife into the skin and subcutaneous tissues and drawing 

 the hand downward slit them freely and deeply from the top 

 of the scapula down to the pastern. Lay aside the knife and 

 force the fingers between the skin and subjacent tissues of 

 the limb and while the assistant maintains gentle traction 

 upon the limb separate the skin upward by forcing the hand 

 or the ball of the thumb through the loose connective tissues 

 until the upper region of the scapula is reached. The sepa- 

 ration of the skin from the subjacent parts may require at 

 certain points, like the olecranon or carpus, the aid of the 

 chisel or knife to divide firm bands of connective tissue. 

 This separation of the skin from the subjacent parts has re- 

 moved the chief source of resistance to the tearing of the 

 limb away from the body. The next most important obstacle 

 is the pectoral muscles which should be torn asunder by 

 separating them into small bundles and tearing them through 

 with the fingers between the sternum and limb, or the pro- 

 cess may be aided by incision with a knife or with the chisel. 

 When these are well divided the remaining impediments to 

 tearing the shoulder away consists largely of the trapezius 

 and rhomboldeus muscles at the top, thelatissimus dorsi be- 

 hind and the great serratus and the angularis scapula which 



