OPERATIONS ON THE FOOT 107 
be shot unless this piece of nerve could be found, he was 
again thrown, and after he had been anesthetized I deter- 
mined to follow the course of the nerve down, until I found 
where the accessory branch came from. This I found a 
little below the fetlock, about } inch below the point where 
the anterior plantar nerve is given off from the metacarpal 
nerve. It was about 4 inch below the spot where the 
anterior plantar nerve passes between the artery and vein 
of the foot, and it was somewhat difficult to get at it. 
‘Fig. 62 shows the exact size and distribution of the 
nerves. After the separation of the accessory branch, 
sensation was taken from the foot, and the horse went 
perfectly sound.’ 
Stumbling.—In addition to the sequele we have mentioned, 
it is urged against the operation of neurectomy that one of 
the first effects of depriving the foot of the sense of touch 
is a tendency on the part of the animal to stumble. From 
the cases we have seen we cannot regard this objection as a 
serious one. Nevertheless, as veterinarians, with a knowledge 
of the physiology of the structures with which we are dealing, 
we must treat the objection with respect, for, after all, we are 
bound to allow that stumbling, and a bad form of it, would 
be but a natural sequence of the operation we have just 
performed. The real fact remains, however, that cases of 
stumbling, even immediately after the operation, are rare ; 
and that even when they do occur, the animal seems easily 
able to accommodate himself to the altered condition, and 
as readily uses the comparatively inert mass at the end of 
his limb as he did previously the intact foot. 
H. ADVANTAGES OF THE OPERATION. 
From the prominence we have given to the unfortunate 
sequele of the operation it might possibly be inferred that, 
while not giving it our absolute condemnation, we regard 
neurectomy with a certain amount of distrust. That we 
may contradict any such false impression, we siate here 
that in many cases the operation is the only measure which 
