370 THE NATURE AND TREATMENT OF 



by the movements she may attempt, and there may be an un- 

 controllable displacement of the plank or bar ; and then it may 

 happen that she becomes wounded, and at the same time pre- 

 vents the operation ; while, by the mode we point out, there is 

 no fear of accident, either to the operator or the beast. 



" In case of the want of well provided rings, we may use a 

 strong palisade, a solid fence, or two trees at suitable distances 

 apart. Across, we fix two strong boards of wood, separated 

 from each other, according to the size of the cow. 



" There is another means of confining them that we have 

 employed for some time past, where the cows were very strong 

 and irritable, more simple than the preceding, less fatiguing to 

 the animal, less troublesome to the operator, and which answers 

 perfectly. It consists — 



" First. In leaving the cow almost free, covering her eyes, 

 holding her head by two strong assistants, one of whom seizes 

 the nose with his hand, and strongly pinches the nostrils when- 

 ever the animal makes any strong movement during the oper- 

 ation. 



" Second. In causing another assistant to hold the two hind 

 legs, kept together by means of a cord passed above and be- 

 neath the hocks. This assistant also holds the tail, and pulls 

 it whenever the animal seeks to change its place. 



" The cow being conveniently disposed of, and the instru- 

 ments and appliances (such as curved scissors, upon a table, a 

 convex-edged bistoury, a straight one, and one buttoned at the 

 point, suture-needle filled with double thread of desired length, 

 pledgets of lint of appropriate size and length, a mass of tow 

 in pledgets, being collected in a shallow basket held by an 

 assistant), we place ourselves opposite to the left flank, our 

 back turned a little towards the head of the animal ; we cut 

 off the hair which covers the hide in the middle of the flanks, 

 at an equal distance between the back and hip, for the space 

 of thirteen or fourteen centimetres in circumference. This 

 done, we take the convex bistoury, and place it open between 

 our teeth, the edge out, the point to the left ; then, with both 



