196 NEUROTOMY. ^ 



ceives injury; which, not being as in the natural foot accompanied 

 by pain, continues, unheeded by the horse, and probably by his 

 master, and the result is, inflammation and suppuration, it may 

 be, to an alarming extent, before any discovery be made of the 

 mischief. Under such circumstances, we cannot, have no right 

 indeed to, feel surprise at purulent matter having under-run the 

 sole and insinuated itself between the laminge, so as, in the end, to 

 occasion the separation of the hoof from the foot. Is neurotomy 

 to blame in this case ? Was the master or groom not called on to 

 pay especial attention to the foot or feet of an animal of which he 

 had caused the nerves of sensation to be excised ? Would any 

 man of common reason suppose that a foot without feeling could 

 evince pain or lameness from injury the same as a foot with feel- 

 ing ] And would he not consider it his duty, by attention to his 

 horse's feet, to compensate in some measure for the deprivation he 

 had caused him 1 I know that such occurrences as loss of hoof 

 have arisen from over-work, or from work greater than the foot 

 in the state in which it was operated on was prepared to bear, 

 and that under such circumstances such a melancholy termination 

 has been unavoidable : at the same time, I believe this to be a rare 

 incident when due circumspection has been employed. 



To COMMAND Success in Neurotomy three considerations 

 require attention : — 



Istly. The subject must be fit and proper; in particular, the 

 disease for which neurotomy is performed should be suitable in 

 kind, seat, stage, &c. 



2dly. The operation must be skilfully and effectually performed. 



3dly. The use that is made of the patient afterwards should not 

 exceed what his altered condition appears to have fitted him for. 



The veterinarian who suffers himself to be guided in practice by 

 considerations such as these will have little cause to regret having 

 embarked in the experiment : on the contrary, in the long run, he 

 will find he has thereby restored numbers of horses to work who 

 were utterly useless, saved many lives from slaughter, and obtained 

 for neurotomy a good name within his circle of practice. 



A plain and safe argument wherewith to meet the objections to 

 neurotomy is, simply to ask the question — what the animal is 



