STAPHYLOrOMY. 



63 



<:onjiinctival sac to make sure that the conjunctiva is not 

 drawn into the skin fold. Clip the fold off with the scissors 

 immediately below the forceps, removing an oblong piece. 

 Between the border of the eyelid and that of the wound 

 the skin should be left intact for at least .5 cm. Ligate or 

 compress any bleeding vessels and close the wound by means 

 of interrupted sutures. The wound may be covered with 

 iodoform collodion or wound gelatine or dusted over with 

 iodoform-tannin. It is usually unnecessary and inadvisable 

 to cover the parts with hood or other appliance since so long 

 as the wound is healing properly the animal will not disturb 

 it. 



10. STAPHYLOTOMY. 



Object. An operation devised by Dr. M. H. McKillip 

 for making a manual exploration of the Eustachian tubes, 

 guttural pouches, larynx, pharynx and posterior nares ; and 

 for operations upon the.se structures. The form and extent 

 of the soft palate of the horse is such as to render it ex- 

 tremely difficult to make a manual exploration of the parts 

 above and behind it, and impossible to make a visual ex- 

 amination except with the aid of the expensive and compli- 

 cated rhino-laryngoscope, which only aids in diagnosis while 

 staphylotomy combines with this operative advantages, per- 

 mitting the free introduction of the hand into the laryngo- 

 pharyngeal region. 



Instruments. Mouth speculum, short curved probe- 

 pointed bistoury with a ring to fit the middle finger. 



Technic. Cast the patient or secure on the operating 

 table in lateral recumbency and turn the nose upward. 

 Adjust the mouth speculum and open the mouth as wide as 

 possible ; draw the tongue well out with the left hand while 

 the right carrying the knife on the middle finger is passed 



