THE MODERN HOUSE DOCTOR. 253 



Whichever article is used, care should be taken not to intro- 

 duce it into the respiratory organs too suddenly. A sufficient 

 quantity of atmospheric air must be amalgamated with it; and 

 this is insured by moving the sponge to and fro before the nos- 

 trils for a short time, when the sponge may be placed in a common 

 breathing apparatus ; * in many cases, however, when operating 

 in a barn, or any where under cover, we use nothing but a large 

 circular sponge having a deep concavity, which admits of the 

 horse's nose. The horse having been cast and etherized, we 

 release one of the fore legs from the hobbles, and if the limb be 

 found in a perfect state of relaxation, the subject having no con- 

 trol over it, then is the proper time to commence the operation. 



The limb is now to be brought into its natural position, and thus 

 held by an assistant. Supposing the horse to lie on the off side, 

 we now make an incision over the region of the plantar nerve, 

 on the outside of the near limb. The incision commences just 

 below the head of the pastern, to the extent of one inch, or a trifle 

 more : having exposed the nerve, we pass a director beneath it; a 

 simple incision into the groove of the director separates the nerve. 

 If it is desirable to excise a portion of the nerve, we seize the 

 lower end with a small pair of forceps, and cut off a small piece 

 with a pair of scissors. If both fore legs are to be operated on, 

 we first operate on the inside of the off leg; then, by rolling the 

 animal over, we have an opportunity to repeat the same thing on 

 the opposite side. Most surgeons bring the edges of the wounds 

 together by sutures; and if we could be sure of uniting them by 

 what is called first intention, it would be proper to do so : it is 

 certainly in accordance with the principles of rational surgery, 

 and looks more workmanlike thus to close the incisions ; but a 

 friend of ours residing in Maine, who has operated on quite a 

 number of horses, informs us that he never uses suture, but dresses 

 with a balsamic liquid, and over all a cold water bandage, and the 

 animals show but a slight blemish. In the few cases we have 

 operated on, sutures were used, and bandages, which some recom- 

 mend, were dispensed with, for they only tend to irritate the 

 wounds and keep up an unnatural heat about the part : our ex- 



* In all cases of etherization at the Massachusetts Hospital, a simple sponge 

 is used. The complicated and exponsive breathing machines are dispensed with. 

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