340 THE PRACTICE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE. 



operation many poor sufferers, and otherwise useless animals, 

 may be relieved of pain and made useful. The operation of 

 neurotomy was first performed by Moorcroft and Sewell, of 

 London, about the year 1820. As a rule it should be per- 

 formed only when the animal is incurably lame. AVhen the 

 operation first came into notice as a remedy for obstinate foot 

 lameness, large numbers of horses were operated upon, and 

 as many of them were not fit subjects for the operation, it 

 turned out to be a lamentable failure. The owners of lame 

 animals, heedless of advice, would have it done, and the 

 operation soon fell into disrepute. However, the successful 

 performance of neurotomy, and the selection of proper 

 subjects, will do the practitioner great credit. By what is 

 known as the ' low operation,' all sensation is not destroyed, 

 hence the '.high operation' is to be preferred, and, as a rule, 

 is the one that is performed. By the 'high operation' is 

 meant division of the nervous filament above the fetlock. 

 Before operating, the foot and limb should be prepared by 

 poultices and warm-water baths, cold applications, etc., to 

 allay irritation ; a dose of laxative medicine, followed by 

 diuretics, may also be given. Immediately before operating, 

 the animal should be made to stand in cold water, or have 

 a stream of cold water directed upon the limb from the knee 

 downward ; this will be useful to prevent an undue amount 

 of haemorrhage, which might otherwise take place, and by 

 obscuring the nerve, etc., render the operation difficult. 

 Everything being ready, the animal should be cast and 

 secured, the foot to be operated upon should be freed from 

 the hobbles, and held firmly extended by an assistant to 

 prevent opening the sesamoid bursa. A longitudinal incision 

 should now be made, and if possible the nerve should be 

 exposed by one stroke of the scalpel, such a procedure being 

 much preferable to dissecting the areolar tissue over the 

 course of the nerve. In some cases a small opening may be 



