ISEUKOTOMY. 675 



artery will be in a collapsed state. The nerve, when 

 cleared of its siUTOunding connective tissue, looks white, shows 

 longitudinal fibres, feels hard, and is extremely sensitive when the 

 animal is not under the influence of chloroform. The operator 

 having dissected the nerve clear of any loose tissue, may pass 

 a curved suture needle, armed with thick thread, under it; in 

 doing which, a pin director will come in handy. The thi'ead 

 should now be knotted in a loop and the needle cut off. The 

 nerve, by means of the thread, may be pulled out and divided as 

 high as possible, with a sharp, narrow knife. This snip will 

 naturally inflict intense, though only momentary pain on the 

 animal, if chloroform or cocaine has not been used. Sensation 

 being now destroyed, the horse will cease the struggles he had 

 made, ujd to this, whenever the nerve was touched. The free end 

 is pulled out of the wound, and as much of the nerve is cut off' at 

 the lower end of the incision as the operator can get at. Unless 

 at least an inch in length of the nerve is removed, sensation may 

 become re-established after a few months by nervous union taking 

 place between the cut ends. The horse should now be turned over 

 and the operation performed on the outside. The object of drawing 

 the nerve out is to prevent the cut ends from becoming involved in 

 the healing of the external wound. 



The fact of the part having been previously blistered, greatly 

 increases the thickness of the skin and underlying tissue, and adds 

 to the blood-supply in them. 



Any blood, the presence of which might impede the work, may 

 be " sopped " up with a piece of antiseptic ootton-wool. The 

 part should be treated by some antiseptic solution (p. 67), and 

 the wound may be closed by a stitch of carbolised catgut or 

 suture wire, although such means will rarely be required, on 

 account of the smallness of the incision. After the horse has 

 been allowed to regain his feet, the blood issuing from the wound 

 should be " sopped '' up as before, with antiseptic cotton, and 

 when it has stopped flowing, a dry antiseptic, such as tannoform, 

 should be put on and then a thick covering of antiseptic (e.g., 

 salicylic acid, iodoform, eucalyptus, or boracic acid) cotton-wool, 

 which may be kept in its place by eight or ten layers of corrosive 

 sublimate gauze rolled round the leg. If a lotion has been used, 

 we should apply over the whole, gutta-percha tissue, so as to 

 prevent evaporation. The dressing can be left on for a week, 

 after which time the wound ought to have healed up with but a 

 slight scar. 



Tlie employment of chloroform naturally renders the operation 

 easier, especially for an inexperienced operator, and saves the 

 horse from unnecessary pain. 



43* 



