OPERATIONS OX THE FOOT 111 



nevertheless, others who maintain with equal stoutness that 

 the unnerved animal is positively as safe, if not safer, than 

 the animal who has not been so treated. 



' That the tactile sense in the horse's foot is useful, it 

 would be idle to deny ; but that it is absolutely essential, 

 even to safe progression, no one who has paid attention 'to 

 the results of plantar neurectomy will maintain. On 

 several occasions for years I have hunted, hacked, and 

 driven horses which have been deprived of sensation in 

 their fore-feet, and never had an accident with them. 

 Their action has not been impaired by the operation ; on 

 the contrary, it has been vastly improved compared with 

 what it had been previous to it. And my opinion has not 

 been single in this respect, as many competent horsemen 

 can give like evidence after long and severe trials of 

 neurotomized horses. The opponents of neurectomy were, 

 probably, not aware that there is in progression a muscular 

 as well as a tactile sense.' 



This latter contention is supported by numerous cases, 

 reported at the time when the operation of neurectomy was 

 at the heyday of its popularity. Two I select from writings 

 of a later period: 



Recorded Cases. — 1. ' Two of the finest among the many 

 line horses in the Second Life Guards were so lame from 

 navicular disease, when I joined the regiment, that they 

 were unsafe and unsightly to ride, and were therefore 

 entered on the list to be cast off and sold. One was so 

 crippled that it could scarcely be moved out of its stable. 

 Feeling sorry at having to get rid of such good horses, and 

 anxious to give another blow to the mistaken theory that 

 unnerved animals were unsafe, I obtained the consent of my 

 commanding officer, who patronizes practical conclusions, 

 to perform neurotomy. This was carried out on both horses 

 about eighteen months ago. Within a fortnight they were 

 at their duty, absolutely free from lameness, and with first- 

 rate action, and one of them, from being troublesome and 

 unsteady in the ranks — probably from the pain in its feet — 

 had become quite steady and tractable. Instead of being 



