OPERATIONS ON THE FOOT 93 
unless the cause of the lameness is diagnosed with certainty 
to be situated somewhere in the posterior region of the foot, 
section of the posterior digital alone will not give total 
insensibility to pain. Added to that, we may remember 
this: Below the point at which the digitals branch off 
from the plantar there is always more likelihood of the 
part we are attempting to render insensible being supplied 
by another and adventitious branch, or a branch that, as 
regards its direction, is abnormally distributed. As a last 
consideration, we may say that the higher operation is the 
easier to perform. 
Percival, in his works on lameness, has some very sage 
remarks to make by way of a preliminary, and we cannot 
do better than quote them here. He says: 
‘To command success in neurectomy three considerations 
demand attention : 
‘1. The subject must be fit and proper; in particular, 
the disease for which neurectomy is performed should be 
suitable in kind, seat, stage, ete. 
‘9. The operation must be skilfully and effectually per- 
formed. 
°3. The use that is made of the patient afterwards should 
not exceed what his altered condition appears to have fitted 
him for. 
‘The veterinarian who is guided by considerations such 
as those will find that he has restored to work horses who 
would otherwise have been utterly useless. A plain and 
safe argument wherewith to meet the objections to neurec- 
tomy is simply to ask the question what the animal is 
worth, or to what useful purpose he can be put, that happens 
to be the subject of such an operation. 
‘If the horse can be shown to be still serviceable and 
valuable, then he is not a legitimate subject for the opera- 
tion. The rule of procedure I have laid down is to operate 
on no other but the incurably lame horse ; and whenever 
this has been attended to, not only has success been the 
more brilliant, but idemnification from blame or reproach 
has been assured.’ 
