HEUBOTOMT.] 



MODERN N^ETERINARY PRACTICE. 



[neueotomt. 



mation not being properly subdued at the time 

 of perfurniing the operation; 8o that the disease 

 still went on. with all its eonsequences. llow- 

 ever, we prefer the higlier to the lower opera- 

 tion, as wo have seen less ill consequenees 

 arise from it. Some veterinarians prefer the 

 lower one. For rinc;-bone, the lower one should 

 never bo praetised. One reason for givini; 

 preference to the upper operation to the lower 

 is, that after tho operation, the end of the 

 nerve freqiiently draws itself up, and forms a 

 bulbous end. This coming in contact with the 

 joint, the horse goes as lame as ever in the 

 course of a few days. AVhat is the conse- 

 quence ? Why, the higb operation is obliged 

 to be performed, and the horse is immediately 

 upriglit. If a similar formation manifests a 

 disposition to attach itself to the higher part 

 of the nerve, in this mode of operating, it be- 

 comes protected by the tendon, and nothing 

 further is heard of it ; for, where no lameness 

 returns, there is reason to suppose that the 

 disease is overcome. 



AVhilst practising in Devonshire, a very large 

 proprietor of liorses, and a mail-contractor, 

 had the misfortune to lose an animal, by both 

 hoofs coming off, and which was not discovered 

 until after he had arrived in the hotel-yard. 

 He evinced not the least lameness during his 

 journey, and was driven by one of the most 

 humane men who ever sat upon a box. Another 

 instance occurred to the- same gentleman, and 

 by the same coach. On taking the horses off, 

 cue of the leaders appeared to go stiff before ; 

 and thinking it was a slight inflammatory action 

 of the foot, his feet and legs were bathed in hot 

 •water. On the morrow, however, he could not 

 move his fore feet in the stall, and, of course, a 

 more minute examination was required. This 

 enabled us to detect the bones grating to- 

 gether at the large and small pasterns. The 

 horse was immediately de;>troyed, and both 

 large and small pasterns were fractured in an 

 oblique direction : — one of the specimens the 

 owner presented us with. 



Description of the FJate of Nerve Opera- 

 tion. — This plate shows the two methods that 

 have been coamiouly employed in performing 

 the operation of neurotomy. It is of the 

 greatest importance to observe that the nerve 

 should be divided with a very sharp knife. 

 The neurotomy knife is the best to use, and 



should bo always kept in good order. Some 

 operators uso curved bistorya und Hcirtaora, 

 which are superfluous. When tlie diviBion is 

 made with sci.s.sor.s, that part of tho nerve may 

 become numbed, and then it is that tho bul- 

 bous lump forms, much to tho disadvantage of. 

 the horse, as well as to the success of tho 

 operation. 



Description of the Figure. — A represents 

 the horse's leg taken off a few inches below tho 

 knee, and also the foot removed. B the situa- 

 tion for tho high operation. C tho nervo 

 running behind the artery. D tho artery. 

 E a blunt-ended needle, armed with whitey- 

 brown thread, to take up the nerve with. Tho 

 reason of its being blunt is, to prevent it from 

 injuring the arterj'. ¥ the two tenaculum, 

 employed to show the parts. The one on tho 

 left hand represents the operator's finger 

 drawing back the skin ; the one on the right 

 shows the finger of an assistant, whilst tho 

 operator inserts the armed needle under the 

 nerve. Gr the situatipn of the low operation. 



We remarked that preference was given to 

 the high operation, performed even a little 

 higher than the locality marked in the plate. 

 Eor, when performed in this part, the nervous 

 communication with the foot is more com- 

 pletely cut off", and the cicatrix is quite out of 

 the way of being struck with the other foot. 



In this part, the nerve lies rather deeper, 

 especially on the inside of the leg, than it does 

 nearer the fetlock -joint ; but there is no difll- 

 culty in finding it, if a little cellular menibrano 

 is carefully removed. Three-quarters of an 

 inch of the nerve is quite enough to be cut 

 away, and tho incision of the skin need not 

 exceed one inch. After the nerve has been 

 cut out, tho wound should be closed by one 

 stitch, and a linen bandage should be applied, 

 moistened with cold water, and allowed to 

 remain on for a day or two, when it may bo 

 removed, and the wound dressed with com- 

 pound tincture of myrrh, and tow dipped 

 therein. Apply the bandage again. 



Mode of Ferforming the Operation. — Tho 

 first thing to bo done is to cast the horse in 

 the most convenient and easy place that caa 

 be selected. Allow the leg intended to bo 

 operated upon to be taken out of the hobbles, 

 and fasten a piece of webbing round the 

 pastern, to be held firm by an assistant ; the 



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