DISEASES OF THE LATEEAL CARTILAGES 355 



this end a sage-knife (right- or left-handed, according as to 

 whether the anterior or posterior portion of the cartilage is 

 to be first removed) is again passed into the incision. With 

 the cutting-edge of the knife forward, it is gradually reached 

 round and under the hindermost end of the cartilage, and 

 the posterior half of the cartilage separated from underlying 

 structures, and at the same time excised by one clean cut 

 forwards. Using the second sage-knife in a similar manner, 

 the cutting-edge this time backwards, it is reached in front 

 of the cartilage, whose anterior half is then excised by 

 a careful cut backwards. Any small portions of cartilage 

 remaining after this are sought for with the finger, and 

 carefully removed by means of a scalpel and a tenaculum. 



The fistulous opening or openings in the skin of the 

 coronet should now be thoroughly curetted, and the whole 

 of the wound dressed as to be described later. 



In removing the anterior half of the cartilage it is highly 

 important to remember the close contiguity to it of the 

 synovial membrane of the pedal articulation. This projects 

 as a small sac between the antero- and postero-lateral 

 ligaments of the joint. Risks of injury to it may be 

 diminished by having the foot secured with a line, and 

 pulled forward by an assistant while the cut is being 

 made. 



Third Method {after Bayer). — This operator recommends 

 that, after stripping a half-moon-shaped piece of horn from 

 the seat of operation, instead of raising the skin of the 

 coronet and the attached coronary cushion in two flaps (as 

 Fig. 139, a, a), that the cartilage be exposed by raising up 

 one flap only (Fig. 141, a), consisting of a portion of the 

 sensitive laminte, the coronary cushion, and the skin and 

 underlying structures of the coronet. 



With the horse cast and the preliminary steps over, the 

 thinned horn of the quarter is incised in a semicircular 

 fashion, and the half -moon -shaped piece thus separated 

 from its surroundings stripped off. At about |- inch from 

 the incision in the horn, a second incision of similar shape 

 is made through the sensitive structures, which incision 



23—2 



