XV.— NEURECTOMY OF THE MEDIAN AND OF THE 

 ULNAR NERVES. 



At the present time we have in hospital a horse on which I have 

 successively performed neurectomy of the median and of the ulnar 

 nerve. To-day I intend to speak of this horse, and of the two opera- 

 tions to which we have been obliged to resort. 



A little more than a month ago — it was during the first days of 

 May — M. H — , carman at Paris, brought a six-year-old horse for 

 examination. It had long been lame on the off fore-leg. On examin- 

 ing the lower parts of the leg I found chronic changes in the bones, 

 joints, and tendons. This examination showed the existence of an 

 old-standing strain of the flexor tendons, an indurated windgall, pha- 

 langeal periostitis, and two sidebones, the inner a little larger than the 

 outer. Furthermore, the fetlock was upright and had commenced to 

 knuckle over. The tendon and coronet showed traces of penetrating 

 firing. On examining the limb the tendons appeared slightly painful, 

 especially at their upper part opposite the check ligament. The 

 lameness, which was quite distinct at a walk, was verj' marked at a 

 trot. 



M. H — , in bringing his horse, thought that we would again fire 

 the tendon and the ringbones. I assured him that firing would be of 

 no benefit. It could certainly not cure all these chronic changes, nor 

 produce sufficiently marked effects to remove the lameness, but as the 

 animal seemed worth it I proposed median neurectomy, and in your 

 presence explained on what grounds I justified this method of treat- 

 ment, which was accepted. 



On the 6th May, after having applied thin-heeled shoes to the fore- 

 feet (the heels of which were contracted), I performed median neurec- 

 tomy by the usual method. The animal was cast on the right side, and 

 the near fore-foot secured to the canon-bone of the corresponding hind 

 limb. The hobbles being drawn back, a strip of webbing was applied 

 to the canon-bone of the off fore-leg, which was released from the 

 hobbles and drawn forward into a position of full extension, in which it 

 was secured by two assistants holding the webbing. In this way the 



