101 



Have an assistant liold tne animal's head still ; no necessity of putting 

 a twitch on the nose. Grasp your knife firmlj'^in the right hand, select 

 the spot to cut, and cut. Make the cut from above to below dii'cctly 

 on the median line on the anterior surface of the mndpipe. Do not 

 attempt to dissect your way in, that is too slow, it annoys the horse 

 and makes him restless, besides it gives a novice time to become 

 nervous. Make the cut about 2 inches long in the windpipe; this 

 necessitates cutting three or four rings. One bold, nervy stroke is 

 usually sufficient, but if it is necessarj^ to make several other cuts to 

 finish the oj)eration do not hesitate. Your intention must be to make 

 a hole in the windpipe sufficiently large to admit the tracheotomy' tube, 

 and you have not accomplished your purpose until you have done so. 

 It is quickly manifested when the windpiiDc is severed, the hot air 

 rushes out, and when air is taken in it is sucked in with a noise. A 

 slight hemorrhage may result (it never amounts to much), which is 

 easily conti*olled by washing the wound with a sponge and cold v.ater; 

 do not get any of the water in the windpii^e. Do not neglect to instruct 

 your assistant to hold the head down immediately after the Oi^era- 

 tion, so that the neck will be in a horizontal line. This will prevent 

 the blood getting into the windpipe and allow it to drop directly on the 

 ground. If you have the self-adjustable tube, it retains its i^lace in 

 the wound without further trouble after it is inserted. The other kind 

 requires to be secured in position hy means of two tapes or strings 

 tied around the neck. After the hemorrhage is somewhat abated 

 sponge the blood away and see that the tube is thoroughly clean, then 

 insert it, directing the tube downwards towards the lungs. To insure 

 the tube being clean, it is best to keep it immersed in a solution of 1 

 ounce of carbolic acid in 20 ounces of water for about thirty minutes 

 previous to inserting it in the windpipe. 



The immediate relief this operation affords is wonderful to behold. 

 The animal, a few minutes before on the verge of death from suffoca- 

 tion, emitting a loud wheezing sound with every breath; with haggard 

 countenance, body swaying, i)awing, gasping, fighting for breath, is 

 now breathing tranquilly, and ten to one is nosing about the stall in 

 search of something to eat. 



The tube should be removed once a day and cleaned with the carbonc 

 acid solution (1 to 20), and the discharge washed away from the wound 

 with a solution of carbolic acid, 1 part to 40 j)arts water. Several 

 times a day the hand should be held over the opening in the tube to 

 test the animal's ability to breathe through the nostrils, and as soon 

 as it is demonstrated that breathing can be performed in the natural 

 way the tube should be removed, the wound thoroughlj^ cleansed with 

 the carbolic acid solution (1 to 40), and closed by inserting four or five 

 stitches through the skin and muscle. Do not include the cartilages 

 of the windpipe in the stitches. Apply the carbolic acid solution to 

 the wound three or four times a day until healed. When the tube 



