98 DISEASES OF THE HORSE'S FOOT 



accidentally be opened. If an ordinary scalpel is used, the 

 lower end of the sheath should be picked up and the point 

 of the scalpel inserted through it. With the cutting edge 

 of the scalpel turned towards the opening of the wound, 

 the sheath is then slit from below upwards. The second 

 incision satisfactorily made, the wound is again wiped dry, 

 and the nerve seen as a piece of white, curled string in the 

 posterior portion of the wound. 



At this stage it is advisable to accurately ascertain 

 whether what we have taken to be the nerve actually is it. 

 This is done by taking it up with the forceps and giving it 

 a sharp tweeze. A sudden struggle on the part of the 

 patient will then leave no doubt in the operator's mind 

 that it is the nerve he has interfered with. 



Section of the Nerve. — The neurectomy needle (Fig. 60) 

 is now taken, and, excluding the other structures, passed 

 under the nerve. A piece of stout silk or ordinary string 

 is then threaded through the eye of the needle, the needle 

 withdrawn, and the silk left in position under the nerve. 

 The silk is now tied in a loop, and the nerve by this means 

 gently lifted from its bed. With the curved scissors or the 

 scalpel it is severed as high up as is possible. The lower 

 end of the severed nerve is then grasped firmly with the 

 forceps, pulled downwards as far as possible, and then cut 

 off. At least an inch of the nerve should be excised. 



The animal is then turned over, and the opposite side of 

 the limb operated on in the same manner. 



The tourniquet is now removed, and the wound is 

 examined for bleeding vessels. If the haemorrhage is only 

 slight, the wound should be merely dabbed gently with the 

 antiseptic wool until it has stayed. A larger vessel may be 

 taken up with the artery forceps and ligatured, or the 

 htemorrhage stopped by torsion. On no account, unless it 

 it done to stay ha-morrhage that is otherwise uncontrollable, 

 should the wound be sutured with blood in it. With the 

 wound once dry and clean, it is well to insert three or four 

 silk sutures, but care must be taken not to draw them too 

 tightly. This done, the patient may be allowed to get up. 



