92 ANTISEPTIC TREATMENT OF WOUNDS. 
muscles, and lies most superficially about 20 cm. above the 
astragalus. In a better bred horse it is higher, according to 
the length of the tibia. The point of operation is located, so 
that in larger, well-bred horses the operation must be per- 
formed up to 25 cm. above the protuberance of the astragalus, 
while in commoner, smaller horses, 15 cm. is the limit. At 
this point the nerve is located in the space between the mus- 
cle bellies of the flexor pedis, which is surrounded by a muscle 
sheath, on one side, and the lamellar ligament, which origi- 
nates by the uniting of the superficial and deep laminae of the 
fascia of the leg and in front of the tendo-Achillis, goes down- 
ward, inserting itself on the astragalus, on the other side. In 
the median direction the nerve lies close to the deep lamina of 
the fascia of the leg, and outwards, then follows the superficial 
lamina of the fascia of the leg, (fascia superficialis of the hind 
leg,) and finally the skin. Besides this, the nerve is accom- 
panied by the small artery, recurrent tibial artery, also by the 
plantar vein, the latter, however, does not seem to be constantly 
present, as I missed it frequently. 
The performance of the operation is as follows: 
After laying the horse down, I have the top hind leg elevated 
some by an assistant. I did not find it necessary to untie the 
leg, and then cut at the specified place with a disinfected knife 
through the skin to the length of from 4 to 5 cm., after the 
hair has been trimmed off, the skin washed with soap and dis- 
infected with a 1 per cent. sublimate solution. 
Now I assure myself, by touching it with the finger again, 
that the superficial incision is located exactly above the above 
mentioned interstice in which the nerve lies; should this latter 
not be the case, the incision can be enlarged accordingly, or 
if such enlargement should not suffice, a fresh incision had bet- 
ter be made. If the superficial wound and the space between 
the flexor pedis muscle and the lamellar ligament, which is 
formed by the union of the superficial and deep laminae of 
the fascia of the leg, are not exactly over each other, we 
reach, by cutting the facia located under the skin of the hind 
leg, into the space between the lamellar ligament and the 
