Coffin -joint Lameness 97 



in the foot is destroyed; in the low operation the 

 sensation is destroyed in the lower and back part of the 

 foot only. 



The writer advises the low operation in all cases 

 when it will give relief, and this is easily determined 

 by injecting cocaine (five per cent solntion) over the 

 nerves at the seat of the operation. If properly per- 

 formed, no bad results follow the operation and the horse 

 gets relief from pain. When the low operation will not 

 give relief, and the horse suffers pain, the high opera- 

 tion is to be recommended. The objection to the high 

 operation is, that in some cases there is likely to follow 

 degeneration of the tissues of the foot to such an extent 

 as to necessitate a destruction of the animal. Yet an 

 animal generally gives years of service, without pain, 

 when he otherwise would be useless. Neurectomy, if 

 properly performed under the effects of cocaine, is prac- 

 tically painless, and cannot be considered cruel. In 

 fact, the cruelty lies in allowing a horse to suffer when a 

 simple operation would give relief. The writer does 

 not recommend neurectomy when it is to be performed 

 at any point above the knee or fetlock, except in rare 

 instances. The indiscriminate practice of neurectomy 

 is bad; the operation is not a "cure-all," and is to be 

 employed only after careful consideration, for a specific 

 purpose, and by a skilled surgeon. 



CORXS 



Corns result from bruises of the sole. They al- 

 ways occur on the inside half of th^ sole of the front 



G 



