NEUHOTOMY. 799 



NEUROTOMY.* 



Should the case prove to be incurable, there is now one alter- 

 native for relieving the lameness. That is severing the nerves, or 

 performing the operation of neurotomy. If the foot will bear it, 

 the character of which I will presently describe, it will prove a 

 very important and valuable operation, because it can be resorted 

 to with success after all other means have failed to remove the 

 lameness ; not only this, but it relieves the animal from the con- 

 tinued pain and suffering to which he has been subject. But if, 

 on the contrary, the case is not a suitable one, no matter how 

 skillfully the operation may be performed, it will prove unfavor- 

 able or destructive to the case. 



It was first introduced by Dr. Turner (before referred to), 

 who, after vainly exhausting his resources of treatment for the 

 cure of navicular lameness, finally turned his attention to destroy- 

 ing sensibility of the foot by severing the nerve, and obtained the 

 most satisfactory results. 



The operation was afterward introduced in the Veterinary 

 School of England, as a means of overcoming chronic lameness. 



Great care should be taken in selecting proper subjects, as in 

 no case where inflammation exists hi the foot, should the opera- 

 tion be performed. It is adapted only to cases of chronic navi- 

 cular disease, ossification of the lateral cartilages and ring-bone, 

 and from feelings of humanity in aggravated cases of canker, 

 which are tedious and painful in the extreme. The following are 

 the rules laid down by the best authorities: First, Never operate 

 upon a very heavy, thick-legged cart-horse; Second, Never 

 operate where the feet are thin, weak in the heels, full or convex 

 in the sole, or brittle through weakness of the hoof, and on no 

 account if the horse has high action ; Third, Operate only when 

 the foot is good and strong, with a concave sole, and the action 

 not too high; for if the action is high he is apt to injure his feet 

 by the severe pounding. The greatest care is required not to 

 prick, and in driving not to bruise, the sole. The feet should be 

 picked and washed every night, and well covered with hoof oint- 



*This article was written by the author, mainly from notes taken of Dr. Suru- 

 merville's lecture to him on neurotomy. 



