PRINCIPLES OF VETERINARY SURGERY 203 



judgment in selecting the particular kind of restraint most 

 appropriate for the particular subject or particular opera- 

 tion. A horse that violently resents the application of the 

 firing iron in the standing position from the very beginning 

 of the operation must be promptly cast and effectually 

 secured. Early in such operation the surgeon should care- 

 fully judge the temperament of such subjects. The old 

 spavined horse may also have an anchylosis of the verte- 

 brae which will render recumbent restraint rather hazard- 

 ous. Such animals are operated upon by other methods 

 and are thus protected against injury. In fact, every opera- 

 tion and every single patient must be carefully judged with 

 the view of preventing even the more trivial accidents, 

 which is accomplished only by thoroughly understanding 

 the nature of the patient and the technique of the restrain- 

 ing method. 



From the standpoint of thoroughness, perfect restraint 

 is especially necessary. There are some operations that can 

 only be performed in certain particular positions. The 

 seat of operation, whether it be a leg or a region of the 

 trunk, neck or head, must be exposed and immobilized to the 

 best advantage, so that the steps of the operation can be 

 consecutively executed with the least possible interference 

 from the struggles of the patient. A median neurotomy 

 would be impossible if the internal aspect of the humero- 

 radial articulation were not well exposed and forcibly kept 

 in a certain stretched position. The castration of the 

 cryptorchid, the ablation of a scirrhous cord, or the opera- 

 tion for inguinal hernia necessitate the forcible parting and 

 flexing of the hind legs. These are only a few of the many 

 surgical operations that are best performed with a particu- 

 lar form of restraint. All of them require attention in this 

 direction. Perfect surgery is impossible without perfect 

 restraint. They go hand in hand. The restraint is more 



