A DICTIONARY. 



271 



useless treatment by the application of a 

 stimulant to skin already deprived of any 

 connection with the deeper seated structures. 



'■'■Division of the flexor tendon. — There 

 are so many accidents and diseases that 

 may produce contraction of the flexor ten- 

 dons, that we only wonder we do not more 

 often meet with them ; which we should 

 certainly do, but that the attendants, de- 

 spairing of being able to aflbrd relief, ad- 

 vise their destruction. The operation con- 

 sists in making a longitudinal incision of 

 about three inches in length along the inner 

 lateral edge of the tendon ; dissecting each 

 portion from its cellular attachments, so as 

 to expose the nerve, artery, and tendons. 

 This opening will allow the perforans to be 

 freed from the perforatus, when a division 

 should be made by a scalpel applied to its 

 surface. It is evident that this should take 

 place below any thickening, or adhesions 

 which may have permanently connected the 

 tendon with the neighboring parts; any 

 lesser attachments will be broken through, 

 by forcing back the foot to the just position. 

 By Mr. Dick this was done 'by placing his 

 knee against the front or projecting part of 

 the pastern, at the same time laying hold 

 of the foot with one hand and the upper 

 part of the leg with the other, and using 

 considerable force : and this appears to be 

 necessary, in order to break any adhesions 

 that may have formed.' The limb should 

 now be placed in a poultice ; and, if any 

 fear of future contraction should arise dur- 

 ing the cure, lengthen the toe of the shoe 

 proper to the foot operated on. Some slow 

 exercise after the first week may be allowed, 

 but previously to that the horse should be 

 confined to a stall, during which the bowels 

 must be kept open with mashes. 



'■^Amputations. — These have been hitherto 

 confined principally to the tail, the ears, and 

 other parts of minor importance in the 

 animal frame ; but veterinary surgery now 

 takes a wider field, and the extremities are 

 amputated with a certainty of making 

 horned cattle still serviceable for the pru- 

 pose of yielding milk ; and, without doubt, 

 the same might be done with the brood 



mare, or stallion, particularly in fractures 

 of the fore extremities. Professor Dick, of 

 the Edinburgh Veterinary College, fm-nishes 

 a case sent to him by one of his pupils, to 

 the following effect : ' I performed amputa- 

 tion upon the cow on the 7th of July ; after 

 having properly secured the animal, and 

 applied a tourniquet above the carpus, I 

 made a cucular incision through the integ- 

 uments round the leg, a little below the 

 carpus ; and, having separated the skin so as 

 to allow of its being pushed up a little, I 

 cut through the sinews, and lastly sawed 

 off the stump : the parts are now com- 

 pletely whole, although she has been going 

 at grass all the time ; and, now that she has 

 got the advantage of a cork stump, makes 

 a wonderful shift for herself, and yields a 

 good supply of milk to her owner.' Mr. 

 Dick also notices another case of amputation 

 of the fore leg of a two-year-old heifer ; and 

 of a third, where the hind leg was removed 

 above the tarsus. Such operations have 

 occasionally occurred from time immemo- 

 rial, with a few enterprising characters. 

 We have heard of them, but they were 

 mostly regarded as mere matters of curiosity 

 or wonder ; and therefore were not imitated. 

 We shall, however, probably ere long have 

 them more common, in cows at least ; for, 

 occurring below the carpus and tarsus, they 

 are as easily performed as nicking or dock- 

 ing : and there is no doubt but, were a hol- 

 low padded stump applied, such low opera- 

 tions might be prudent in many cases. 

 Fractures, with great comminution of bone, 

 considerable ravages of disease within the 

 foot, or extensive gangrene, are the cases 

 which might call for amputation. Of the 

 method of amputation little need be added 

 to the above. The principal practical points 

 are, the fixing of a tom'niquet of sufficient 

 force, which should be padded to make its 

 principal pressure on the leading arterial 

 trunks, while its general circumference will 

 act on the smaller vessels : a ring should be 

 cut lightly below the intended place of opera- 

 tion, only through the integuments ; which, 

 when separated from their cellular ad- 

 hesions for about six inches, should be 



