PRINCIPLES OF VETERINARY SURGERY 211 



It is the habit of some surgeons to fasten the hind legs to 

 each other with a leather strap wound around them in the 

 form of a figure 8, with the object of diminishing the force 

 of the struggles. This expedient is, however, of questiona- 

 ble merit, as it often provokes rather than limits the strug- 

 gling. 



When the operation is completed the legs are released 

 from the hopples, the twitch is removed from the nose, the 

 neck strap is unbuckled and the belts are loosened several 

 inches. These are done in the order named. The table is 

 then rapidly turned to the perpendicular position. The as- 

 sistant at the head holds it firmly against the table with 

 the halter-shank and unbuckled neckstrap, and as soon as 

 the feet approach the floor the hoodwink is removed. The 

 removal of the. hoodwink at this particular time will cause 

 the horse to promptly assume the upright position instead 

 of hanging heavily into the belts. When the footing is 

 regained the belts, the unbuckled neck-strap and the halter- 

 shank are simultaneously released, and the horse is thus 

 entirely liberated. If a horse hangs into the belts, instead 

 of standing upright, some care must be taken not to throw 

 its body heavily to the floor by releasing all of the belts. 

 A gentle tap with a strap, or slowly releasing the foremost 

 belt, will usually induce the horse to stand on its feet. The 

 manipulation of the neck-strap must always be cautiously 

 supervised with the aim of preventing a horse from hang- 

 ing by the neck should it not be released before the belts. 



THE CASTING HARNESS.— The casting harness (or 

 casting ropes) is named as one of the essential apparatus 

 because it is portable and also on account of the fact that 

 certain operations are more easily performed with the rope 

 method of restraint. For castrations, especially of cryp- 

 torchids, and for all other operations about the inguinal 

 region, the ropes are par excellence the best restraint. The 



