OPERATIONS ON THE MOUTH, PHARYNX, ETC. 129 



membrane and external muscles are snipped slowly through 

 with blunt-pointed scissors, the bloodvessels being taken up 

 as they are severed, and a double thick silk ligature is passed 

 through the centre of the remaining portion and tied off on 

 either side ; the parts below this are then excised. A small 

 ecraseur, ^^•orked \-ery slo\\ly. answers the same purpose, or 

 the double ligature ma}- be dispensed with in a small tongue, 

 the lingual artery being secured and twisted with forceps. 

 Care must always be taken to keep the 

 head in a horizontal or dependent 

 position, in order that blood may not 

 run down the larynx and trachea, and 

 the help of a good assistant is in- 

 \'aluable to watch this point. 



After-treatment consists in the fre- 

 quent application of some antiseptic, 

 such as solution of permanganate of 

 potash, chinosol, or boric acid. 



As mentioned above, a dog which 

 has lost a large portion of its tongue 

 has considerable difficult\' in drinking, 

 and may even be unable to exist at 

 all without artificial aid. It can readil}- 

 be understood that it will be harder 

 for the patient to obtain liquids when 

 the head is dependent than when the 

 mouth is raised. Thus, it would be 

 easier to drink from a running tap than 

 from a saucer on the floor. Fig. 99 is 



the sketch of a very ingenious contrivance which was made by 

 an owner for a favourite dog, half of whose tongue had necrosed 

 and been amputated, and by which the animal was enabled to 

 gratif\' his thirst \\henever it wished. It consisted of a small 

 water-tank (A) with an exit in the bottom closed by a valve. 

 The latter was connected by a wire lever arrangement ^\■ith a 



Fig. 99. — Apparatus by 

 which a Dog which 

 had lost Half its 

 Tongue could drink 

 Water. 



