292 DISEASES OF THE HORSE’S FOOT 
protect the sole by means of a leather or rubber pad and 
tar stopping, or by using the Huflederkitt described on 
p- 148. In every case the nails must be kept well back 
in order to avoid the weakened and degenerated horn at 
the toe, and to take advantage of the greater growth of 
horn at the heels. 
The wisdom of thus removing the whole of the adventi- 
tious horn may be questioned. Although a foot of a nearly 
normal shape is obtained,,it must be remembered that the 
grave alterations within it are unchanged, and that in cer- 
tain positions the operation must have carried us nearer 
the sensitive structures than is advisable. 
All other treatments failing, the operation of neurectomy 
has been advised. This we do not think wise. One would 
imagine that, with degenerative processes already going on 
in the foot, the tendency to gelatinous degeneration, always 
to be looked for in neurectomy, would be increased. This, 
as a matter of fact, is the case, and is borne out by the 
statements of those who have tried this method of treat- 
ment. In many cases the lameness even is not got rid of. 
Even where it is, the operation is afterwards followed by a 
great tendency to stumble, by sloughing of the hoof, or by 
a marked increase in the adventitious horn, and a conse- 
quent greater deformity of the foot. 
Sooner than risk neurectomy, it seems to us wiser to give 
a trial to the operation advocated by M. G. Joly, namely, 
that of ligaturing one of the digital arteries on each affected 
foot. This operation is performed in the same position as 
is the higher operation of plantar neurectomy, and may be 
either internal or external. The vessel is exposed, and a 
double ligature, preferably of silk, placed on it. The artery 
is then divided between the two ligatures. 
effect of the operation is to cause a considerable diminutilon 
in the arterial pressure, and so lessen the intensity of the 
ostitis in the os pedis. Its consequences are not so seriou.’ 
as those of neurectomy, and it decongests tissues which 
neurectomy congests. 
In cases related by M. Joly this operation, practised bo/th 
