88 SUBCUTANEOUS CAUDAL MYOTOMY 



Opposite direction. If this has not l)een attained, examine 

 carefully and sever any remaining bundles of muscle, and 

 this not suflScing, repeat the operation as before at another 

 point 5 or 6 cm. above or below the first, severing the muscle 

 again. Or if the depressor appears implicated, sever it in 

 a similar manner. In extreme cases the entire lateral half 

 of the caudal muscles, tendons and aponeurosis maj- be 

 severed. 



FIG. 35 



Transverse section of the tail. ?;, Caudal vertebra ; c, sacro- 

 •coccygeus lateralis muscle ; f , sacr-o-coccygeus superior ; f, 

 depressor longus and brevis muscles (sacro-coccygeus infer- 

 ior ;) i, intertransversales mviscles ; a, coccygeal artery ; s, 

 ■supero-lateral coccygeal artery ; /, infero-lateral coccygeal 

 artery; v, caudal veins (dorsal, ventral, lateral) ; sch, caudal 

 fascia ; h, skin. 

 Apply an antiseptic pad to the wound and retain it by a 

 moderately firm bandage, which serves at once as an occlu- 

 sive dressing ana effective hemostatic. Remove the band- 

 age after 24 hours. By this plan of operation it is not 

 intended to tie the tail to the side of tlie animal during the 

 time of healing but when bandaging immediately after the 

 operation, the tail should be held away from the side toward 

 which it formerly curved so that the bandage may tend to 

 prevent the return of the organ to its former position. 



