PRINCIPLES OF VETERINARY SURGERY 219 



dered perfectly safe, and there is but little danger of injur- 

 ing the horse if the operating place is large and some free- 

 dom is given the lifted leg if the animal lunges forward. 

 Twritching the nose is a necessary adjunct to the method. 

 Without the twitch few horses will remain satisfactorily 

 quiet with a hind leg elevated from the floor. Strains of the 

 leg thus forced to carry all of the weight of the posterior 

 quarters are possible accidents from this expedient, but 

 these are only liable to occur when the lifted leg is given no 

 freedom as the patient hops forward. The leg must never 

 be fixed ; it must be held by an assistant instructed to 

 relax the hold when the patient lunges. Sprain of the 

 flexor metatarsi, curb, and thoroughpin are the possible ac- 

 cidents. 



OPERATING TABLE FOR SMALL ANIMALS.— 

 (Fig. 27). Where operations on the canine and feline 

 species are numerous a specially designed operating table 

 is an essential equipment, owing to the delicacy of many 

 of the operations performed upon these animals. The 

 operations which expose the viscera demand the adoption 

 of methods which cannot be efifectually carried out except 

 in an absolutely clean environment, which in turn is ren- 

 dered possible only by the use of strictly aseptic restraining 

 appliance. The artifice of White (Fig.27) in every way 

 meets all the requirements. It is made of enameled metal. 

 The top is studded with a series of key-holes by means of 

 which the hopple keys may be placed at any point to suit 

 any size of animal or any particular position. The holes 

 also serve the purpose of draining fluids into the pan lo- 

 cated six inches beneath. It is also supplied with two swing- 

 ing basins and a glass irrigator. 



Various other operating tables may be easily made to 

 meet the requirements of ordinary veterinary hospitals. A 

 polished and varnished plank two feet wide and five feet 



