206 NEUROTOMY. 



of the Marquis of Tavistock, went very lame in the near foot 

 behind, in consequence of complete ossification of the lateral 

 cartilages and extensive ossific disease around the coronet. She 

 scarcely ever placed the foot upon the ground, but generally moved 

 on three legs. Her sufferings prevented the periodical oestrum. 

 She had not bred for years. About two months after the opera- 

 tion she went to work, and moved sound. She has bred several 

 healthy foals, and works as usual." 



Traumatic Tetanus has had its Course arrested by 

 Neurotomy. In a paper " on Tetanus," read by Mr. Henderson, 

 V.S. to the Queen Dowager, before the Veterinary Medical Society, 

 in the year 1832, that gentleman says — " I have known a case (of 

 tetanus), produced by a wound in the foot, cured by the operation 

 of neurotomy ; I have also known the same treatment in other 

 cases fail. So, likewise, in tetanus arising from docking, horses 

 have recovered, in consequence of the diseased part being ampu- 

 tated (which, in fact, is nothing but neurotomy) ; in other cases of 

 the kind the same has failed." — " I particularly recollect," adds 

 Mr. Henderson, " having examined one case where I found the 

 spinal nerves very vascular, and the intestines bordering on in- 

 flammation ; and such appearances naturally lead me to a belief, 

 that, unless an operation can be performed in a very early stage 

 of the complaint, we have but little chance of success." — VETERI- 

 NARIAN, vol. V, p. 67. 



Having determined on the fitness of the subject for neurotomy, 

 and put him through such preparative treatment, or assigned him 

 such resting time by way of preparation, as is deemed requisite, 

 we proceed to take 



Steps for the Operation. — But the operation, after all, must 

 be regarded only as secondary in importance, subservient quite to 

 the considerations of fitness of subject, and to the time when, and 

 site (in the limb) where, its performance is to be undertaken. 

 What success may follow the operation is not so much attri- 

 butable to any anatomical knowledge or dexterity displayed by 

 the operator, as to the judgment he had exercised beforehand in 

 foretelling what the result of neurotomy was likely to be in that 

 particular case. 



