674 OPEEATIONS. 



means of a noose of stout webbing or cord passed over its pastern 

 to steady it. The nerve on the inside of the leg is the one which 

 should be first divided; because the wound will then escape 

 contact with the ground or bedding. An incision of about half 

 an inch long, above and just clear of the fetlock joint, and im- 

 mediately over the front edge of the back tendons, is all that 

 is required. The readiest method of making the incision is to 

 pinch up between the fingers a fold of skin just above the fetlock, 

 so that the fold may lie across the course of the nerve. An in- 

 cision about half an inch in length should now be made with a pair 

 of rowelling scissors (Fig. 139, p. 338) across this fold of skin, in 

 the direction of the length of the leg, and over the course of the 

 nerve, which will thus become exposed to view, or which may be 

 found with very little trouble. As the horse which is not under 

 the influence of chloroform or cocaine, will make a violent back- 

 ward movement with his leg on the snip being given with the 

 scissors ; the operator should work from the front. The peculiar 

 shape of the rowelling scissors, with its powerful leverage and 

 curved-in points, will greatly facilitate the making of the in- 

 cision. If the animal be under the influence of chloroform, the 

 knife, which is certainly the neater weapon of the two, should 

 be employed. I have seen such disastrous results from the use 

 of the knife, even in professional hands, that I would deprecate 

 its employment at this stage of the operation, or when freeing 

 the nerve from its surrounding connective tissue, unless the 

 patient has been rendered insensible by some anaesthetic, such 

 as chloroform or cocaine. 



The incision through the skin having been made, we 

 expose the nerve, which may not at first be visible, by tearing 

 away the loose overlying tissue by means of some blunt instru- 

 ment, like the point of a pin director or of a dissecting forceps. 

 This tissue readily gives way, and no risk is run, in the event of 

 the animal struggling, of wounding the artery or vein, either of 

 which eventualities would by a copious rush of blood greatly 

 interfere with the operation, unless a tourniquet is employed. The 

 nerve should not only be exposed as much as the length of the 

 incision through the skin will allow it to be done ; but should also 

 be freed from any attachment on its under side, by passing the 

 instrument, whichever one be used, under the nerve. 



The vein being dark in colour, may be easily distinguished ; 

 but the difference between the artery and nerve is not so readily 

 seen. The former, however, is larger than the latter, and is more 

 "yielding" when pressed by the forceps. Its "throbbing," also, 

 will indicate the circulation of blood through it. With a tour- 

 niquet, there will of course be little or no throbbing, and the 



