92 DISEASES OF THE HORSE’S FOOT 
honour, he having satisfactorily performed the operation © 
on numerous animals for fully eighteen years prior to 
Professor Sewell’s announcement. It appears that Moor- 
craft left this country for India in 1808, having practised 
the operation in more or less obscurity for some six or 
seven years previous to that. After his departure neurec- 
tomy, as introduced by him, either died away in repute, 
or was not made by him sufficiently public to become a 
matter of general knowledge. To Professor Sewell, there- 
fore, although not the actual originator of the operation, 
belongs the honour of making it public to the veterinary 
profession. 
In 1824, five years after Sewell’s introduction, we find 
it practised on the Continent by Girard. We gather, 
however, from the writings of Percival and Liautard, that 
both in this country and on the Continent the operation 
was for several years largely in the stage of experiment. 
Unsuitable subjects were operated on; the work afterwards 
given to the animal improperly adjusted to his altered 
condition; and the bad after-results of the operation 
almost ignored by some, and greatly exaggerated by others. 
In fact, some long time elapsed before veterinary surgeons 
allotted to the operation that measure of credit which the 
results following it warranted. 
The Object of the Operation is to render the foot insen- 
sitive to pain, and to give to an otherwise incurably lame 
animal a further period of usefulness. After the operation, 
as time goes on, this object may become defeated by the 
reunion of the divided ends of the nerve. In that case, 
neurectomy must necessarily be performed again. 
The Operation.—T wo forms of neurectomy are recognised 
—the high operation and the low. The low operation deals 
with the posterior digital branch of the plantar nerve, and 
the high operation with the plantar itself. 
It is the latter operation with which we shall deal first. 
In our opinion it is that most likely to be followed by 
satisfactory results.‘ The area supplied by the posterior 
digital is mainly the posterior portion of the digit. Thus, 
