30 VETERINARY SURGICAL OPERATIONS 



wise the surgeon will be "groping in the dark," with little 

 chance of accomplishing a neat isolation of the structure 

 sought. 



Incisions with the Probe-pointed Bistoury. — Incisions 

 made with the probe-pointed bistoury are often nothing more 

 than bold outward slashes. Little" care needs to be exercised 

 in thus making incisions, because the knife has previously 

 been safely placed under tissue intended to be incised. In 

 the use of this instrument the placing of the instrument is 

 the important part of the process. Placed right, the process 

 may be completed with one reckless stroke in the outward 

 direction, that lays bare the whole hot-bed without further 

 ceremony. Occasionally the probe-pointed bistoury is used 

 more cautiously, as for example in effecting the division of 

 ligaments and tendons. 



Incisions with the Tenetome. — The tenetome is usually 

 used to effect the subcutaneous division of tendons or 

 rhuscles. The knife is passed flatwise under the structure 

 turned against it, and then pressed outward until total divis- 

 ion is effected. Such incisions require the assistance of ten- 

 sion of the structure to be divided. A lax tendon is cut with 

 the greatest difficulty ; tensed, it is snipped off promptly. 



Incisions with the Scissors.— Scissors are useful in snip- 

 ping cordiform structures, such as nerves, vessels, small ten- 

 dons, or shreds of lacerated tissues, after these have been 

 perfectly isolated. While not absolutely indispensable in 

 the ordinary surgical operation on the surface of the body, 

 they become very useful in incising parts in remote positions. 

 Guided into a hidden recess with the index finger of the left 

 hand, structures of. this nature can often be very conveniently 

 incised with the scissors. Sharp incising scissors should be 

 included in the veterinary surgeon's outfit, 



Dissection. 



DEFINITION.— The word "dissection" in surgery is 

 reserved to designate the separation of healthy or diseased 

 structures from their'surroundings by cutting or tearing the 

 connecting tissues. Dissection in surgery is the process of 

 isolating a structure to be ablated or otherwise submitted 

 to treatment. It is the sum of a number of consecutive 

 incisions. 



INDICATIONS. — The separation of structures from 

 each other, one from another, or their complete isolation, 

 has two objects:— (i) the opening of a path to underlying 

 structures and (2) ablation or resection. When diseased 



