SURGICAL. OPERATION. 269 



near each other, on each side of the roof of the mouth, so as to 

 divide the inner surface of the hard palate into three nearly equal 

 portions. No other than a direct division of the vein should ever 

 be made; therefore, when bleeding is determined on at this place, 

 do it by plunging a lancet or even a penknife in a direct line 

 across the rugae, one inch within the mouth, exactly between the 

 middle and second nippers. There these vessels form a curve, 

 which curve will be divided, and will then yield three or four 

 pints of blood. If the instrument enter too much on one side, aa 

 about the middle of the second nipper, then a partial and longi- 

 tudinal division of the artery may be made, and an alarming hem- 

 orrhage may follow. In this case, the section must be enlarged 

 and deepened inwardly — that is, away from the teeth — which com- 

 pletely severs the vessel, and its retraction will stop the hem- 

 orrhage. A moderate or slight flow of blood from the palate may 

 be obtained by light scarifications of the rugae. But all bleedings 

 here, except under circumstances of the most urgent necessity, had 

 better be avoided. 



Bleeding by the toe is also arterio-phlebotomy. By no means 

 cut out a portion of the sole at the point of the frog, which fre- 

 quently occasions abscess; but, with a very fine drawing-knife, 

 cut down exactly in the line of union between the crust and the 

 sole ; then, by puncturing the part with a lancet, a vast flow of 

 blood may be obtained, the benefits of which, in some cases, are 

 very marked, particularly in acute founder. If the blood should 

 not flow with sufficient freedom, place the foot in warm water. 

 The bleeding finished, cover the puncture with some tow and a 

 little tar, and lightly tack on the shoe. There are, however, other 

 methods of bleeding from the toe. Mr. Maver uses a drawing- 

 knife with a long curve, so that one sweep of the blade may cut a 

 piece out of the foot. This appears to us bad practice, as it leaves 

 Nature a space to fill up, instead of a simple incised wound to 

 heal. Others take away none of the horn, but merely make a slit 

 through the outer covering on to the vascular portion of the foot. 

 The flap of horn they hold up, so long as they desire blood, by the 

 insertion of a piece of wood ; and when they have obtained blood 

 enough, they take out the wood, so as to let the horny flap down. 

 This last method, of all others, appears to us the easiest and the 

 best. 



Sometimes the plantar vein is opened as a substitute. Scarifi- 



