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means of traction on the body after tlie litnb has been removed. In dis- 

 secting the skin from the limb the knife is not needful at all points; much 

 of it may be stripped off with the fingers or knuckles, or by a blunt iron 

 spud pushed up inside the hide, which is meanwhile held tense to ren- 

 der the spud effective. 



Amputation of the head. — This is easy when both fore-limbs are turned 

 back and the head alone has made its exit in part. It is more difficult 

 when the head is still retained in the passages or womb, as in double- 

 headed monsters. The head is secured by a hook in the lower jaw, or 

 in the orbit, or by a halter, and the skin is divided circularly around 

 the lower part of the face or at the front of the ears, according to the 

 amount of head protruding. Then an incision is made backward along 

 the line of the throat, and the skin dissected from the neck as far back 

 as possible. Then the muscles and other soft parts of the neck are cut 

 across, and the bodies of two vertebrse (neck bones) are severed by 

 cutting completely across the cartilage of the joint. The bulging of 

 the ends of the bones will serve to indicate the seat of the joint. The 

 head and detached portion of the neck may now be removed by steady 

 pulling. If there is still an obstacle the knife may be again used to 

 sever any obstinate connections. In the case of a double-headed mon- 

 ster, the whole of the second neck must be removed with the head. 

 When the head has been detached a rope should be passed through 

 the eye-holes, or through an artificial opening in the skin, and tied 

 firmly around the skin, to be employed as a means of traction when the 

 missing limbs or the second head have been brought up into position. 



Amputation of the hind limh. — This may be required when there are 

 extra hind limbs, or when the hind limbs are bent forward at hock or 

 hip joint. In the former condition the procedure resembles that for 

 removal of a fore-limb, but requires more anatomical knowledge. Hav- 

 ing noosed the pastern, a circular incision is made through the skin 

 around the fetlock, and a longitudinal one from that up to the groin, 

 and the skin is dissected from the limb as high up as can be reached, 

 over the croup if possible. Then cut through the muscles around the 

 hip joint, and, if possible, the two interarticular ligaments of the joint 

 (pubiofemoral and round), and extract the limb by strong dragging. 



In case the limb is bent forward at the hock, a rope is passed round 

 that and pulled so as to bring the point of the hock between the lips 

 of the vulva. The hamstring and the lateral ligaments of the hock are 

 now cut through, and the limbs extended by a rope tied round the 

 lower end of the long bone above (tibia). In case it is still needful to 

 remove the upper part of the limb, the further procedure is the same 

 as described in the last paragraph. 



In case the limb is turned forward from the hip, and the foetus so 

 wedged into the passage that turning is impossible, the case is very 

 difficult. I have repeatedly succeeded by cutting in on the hip joint 

 and disarticulating it, then dissecting the muscles back from the upper 



