552 OPERATIONS ON THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. 



forward with a rope attached to the foot. In this manner the 

 inside of the leg is first treated, after which the animal is turned 

 over and the process repeated on the outside. If the operation is 

 to be performed on both legs, the patient may be thrown on either 

 side indifferent^, and his legs secured as before described. The 

 under leg is then first released and dealt with on the inside ; then 

 rebound to the hobble and the upper leg liberated, and the process 

 repeated on the outside. The horse is then turned over, and the 

 inside of the second leg oj^erated upon is neurotomized and 

 returned to its hobble ; and finally, the uj^per leg, which was on 

 the under side at the beginning, is operated on uj^on the outside. 



Our mode of operating may differ somewhat from those prac- 

 ticed by others, but the general plan is the same. 



The patient, having always been prepared by local treatment 

 of his fetlocks, which have been soaked and firmly bandaged for 

 twenty-four hours, is cast and secured, as before stated, the hair 

 is closely clipped with the scissors, and the parts thoroughly 

 washed with an antiseptic solution (bichloride of mercury). 

 Having carefully felt for the location of the nerve, which, in many 

 cases, can be discovered by feeling the pulsations of the artery, 

 an incision is made through the skin with, if possible, one stroke 

 of the convex bistoury, measuring from an inch to an inch and a 

 half in length. It is an advantage to have the incision slightly 

 obHque to the direction of the nerve. Then, with a f orcej)s in one 

 hand, and the handle of a bistoury or scaljpel in the other, the 

 cellular tissue is lacerated from the edges of the incision, in order 

 to allow the aj)plication of the two blunt rubbered tetiaculums, 

 which, when in position, hold open the wound; or sometimes 

 threads are used instead, being passed through the edges of the 

 wound and tied on the opposite side of the leg. If the incision 

 has been made in the proper place, after sj)onging away the trifling 

 hemorrhage w^hich obscures the wound, the nerve may be seen at 

 the bottom, or it may be found surrounded with more or less 

 condensed cellular tissue, and the next move is its dissection. 

 With a dissecting forceps in each hand, we firmly grasp the con- 

 nective tissue with one, while with the other we tear it away 

 immediately over the nerve, removing it by two or three small 

 portions at a time until the nerve is exposed, lying more or less 

 closely to the artery. Then, with a gentle two-and-fro movement, 

 we isolate the nerve from its attachments with the cellular 



