NEUROTOMY. 191 



sorium, with motor nervous fibres, the motions excited by the 

 latter will necessarily be more or less influenced, through the will, 

 by the impressions they receive from the former. Such impressions 

 being, in the neurotomized subject, so far as regards the feeling 

 of the foot, altogether wanting, a bold fearless projection of the limb 

 in action will be the consequence, followed by a putting down of 

 the hoof flat upon the ground, as though it were a block, creating 

 a sensation alike unpleasant both to horse and rider. These com- 

 bined alterations in action and mode of setting down the feet it is 

 which give rise to the peculiarity in the gait of the neurotomized 

 horse — consisting in lack of elasticity and consequent jarring 

 movement — by which he is ever, when both fore feet have been 

 operated on, distinguished by a rider experienced in such matters 

 from other horses, as well as characterised in action and gait from 

 what he formerly was himself. 



This acknowledged defect has been adduced, and not without 

 reason, as another argument against neurotomy. It must be re- 

 membered, however, that the foot for which such an operation has 

 been performed was originally a lame one ; and that, if we have 

 restored it to soundness at some expense to its organization, still 

 have we placed the animal thereby in a preferable condition to 

 what he, as lame and useless, was in before ; and therefore the 

 argument holds good only to a certain extent. It certainly would 

 have been doing much better for the lame horse had we made him 

 sound without detracting in anywise from the remaining perfec- 

 tions of the foot : since, however, such was incompatible with the 

 nature of the remedy, we ought in reason to be content with what 

 has been achieved by neurotomy ; and that this has amounted to 

 no mean benefit I shall annex a few cases to shew, accompanying 

 them with the remark, that I feel quite convinced, when the sub- 

 jects for the operation shall have been properly selected, and the 

 fitting time chosen for its performance, similar results may be san- 

 guinely and pretty surely anticipated. 



The Success of Neurotomy is best shewn by cases : — The 

 late Mr. Castley, V.S. to the 12th Lancers, whose name in the 

 early numbers of The VETERINARIAN stands in no ordinary esti- 



