PRINCIPLES OF VETERINARY SURGERY 207 



The greatest advantage of the operating table in this 

 connection is the leisurely manner with w^hich an operation 

 may proceed without discomfort to the confined horse, and 

 the decided freshness of the patient after the operation is 

 over. The operating table does not often provoke exhaust- 

 ing struggles. With harness restraint the patient is uncom- 

 fortable throughout, and it is essential to hurry the opera- 

 tion in order to shorten the duration of the confinement. 

 The patient always arises more or less exhausted, even 

 from short operations, while with the table two, or even 

 three hours' confinement will have no exhausting effect. 

 In short, a horse is much safer on the operating table than 

 upon the floor secured with the casting harness. 



From the standpoint of thoroughness and exactness of 

 the surgical technique, the table has both good and bad 

 points. The operations are much cleaner. There are no 

 flying particles from the litter, and less dust in the operating 

 place, and as the surgical field can be more securely tied 

 there is much less danger of soiling the surgical wound, and 

 a much better opportunity of accurately executing the var- 

 ious steps of the operation. The dissection, the hsemo- 

 stasis, the suturing and the dressing are greatly facilitated 

 by the fixed state of the operating field. 



On the other hand, there are operations which cannot 

 be properly performed on the operating table, notably 

 those in the inguinal region. Operation for cryptorchids, 

 scrotal hernias ; scirrhous cords, mammary tumors, etc. 

 are performed with greater ease if the patient is properly 

 tied with the harness. The operating table is strictly de- 

 ficient in these special operations. Operations upon the 

 throat are more easily performed with the harness method. 

 In comparing the two methods, — table and harness, — the 

 former is often condemned for bilateral operations because 

 the horse must be twice secured. That is, when one side 



