258 DADDS VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURUK.m 



vrith thread, pass a bistoury under it, as near to the upper angle 

 of the section as possible. The violent spasm the division of the 

 nerve produces may be somewhat lessened by pressing the nerve 

 between the finger and the thumb, when an opportunity may be 

 taken, either with the scalpel or scissors, of dividing it; then, 

 taking hold of the lowermost portion between a pair of forceps, 

 i xcise about three-fourths of an inch of its trunk. Having fin • 

 ished, if both feet are affected, proceed to operate on the contrary 

 side of the other leg; after which turn the horse, and repeat the 

 operations on the like parts of each leg as they come in succession. 

 The integuments may be now drawn neatly together, and secured 

 by a twisted suture, the whole being properly covered by a light 

 compress. Tie up the head for a day or two, after which put on 

 a cradle. Keep the horse very quiet and low; give mashes, tc 

 open the bowels ; but we should avoid physicking, from the fear 

 that griping might occur, which would make him restless, or prob- 

 ably require exercise. 



Periosteotomy (Removing a Tumor from Surface of Bone). 



This operation consists in having the horse thrown upon his 

 side, and the leg to be operated upon released from the hobble, 

 and extended upon a sack, filled with refuse hay or straw. This 

 is done by means of a piece of webbing passed round the hoof, and 

 the end given to a man to hold, who pulls rather violently at the 

 member. The operator then kneels down and feels for the exos- 

 tosis he intends to perform periosteotomy upon. This may be a 

 splint or a node, and commonly exists upon the metacarpal portion 

 of the fore-limb. The operator having found the excrescence, snips 

 just below it with a pair of rowelling scissors. He then takes a 

 blunt seton-needle and drives it through the cellular tissue, and 

 immediately over the enlargement. Next, another slit in the 

 skin, above the exostosis, is made with the rowelling scissors, and 

 through this last opening the point of the seton-needle is forced 

 and then withdrawn. Into the free space thus made a curved 

 knife is introduced. The point of this knife is blunt, and the 

 blade curves upward, the cutting part being below. Some per- 

 sons use a very diminutive blade, but the editor prefers a rather 

 large instrument, as being more under the command of the hand. 

 Having introduced this knife, he turns the 'jutting edge downward, 



