BILATERAL AND UNILATERAL PLANTAR NEUROTOMY 153 



placed under appropriate treatment, they nevertheless al- 

 ways cause a justified anxiety to the experienced observer, 

 because of the serious complications that may arise from 

 them. In this connection it may be concluded that these 

 lesions to neurotomized feet are always much more serious 

 affairs than similar ones in healthy feet, in spite of the fact 

 that they sometimes heal with more or less rapidity and with- 

 out encroaching beyond the initial seat of injury. The 

 greatest danger seems to emanate from their late discovery. 

 The nail-prick or corn for example, escapes notice until man- 

 ifested by a grave and extensive inflammatory condition that 

 has passed the curable stage ; and besides these acute infec- 

 tious inflammations, often serious enough in healthy feet, 

 are accentuated, insulted, abused by the reckless use of the 

 affected part, which requires the great element, — pain, — to 

 protect it against further injury. It is advisable as a protec- 

 tive expedient, to clip all of the hair from the coronet of the 

 neurotomized horse so that wounds, cracks, etc., in that 

 region may be more promptly discovered. To protect 

 against nail-pricks suitable sole -leather or metallic pads cov- 

 ering the sole and frog, are nailed beneath the shoe, and the 

 feet are examined daily for a possible penetration of these 

 protective coverings. Tar and oakum packing beneath the 

 pads will preserve the moisture of the hoof, as well as a 

 more' healthful' condition of the hoof structure. Shoeuig 

 with rubber pads and iron tips answers very well where this 

 style of horse-shoeing is available. 



A protracted rest at pasture after the operation is always 

 admissible, but is by no means as essential as after digital 

 neurotomy. Exceptional care of the feet, preservation of 

 their natural moisture, good shoeing, and a constant lookout 

 for accidental wounds, are so many precautions to keep in- 

 violate. 



But, above all, the neurotomized subject, if its usefulness 

 is to be preserved for any length of time, must be given an 

 occupation that harmonizes with the seriousness of its pedal 

 lesions. Otherwise the whole affair is certain to terminate un- 

 favorably. Racing, speeding or heavy traction will not long 

 be survived. A neurotomized, large draft horse will soon 

 become absolutely useless from pulling a large dray or coal 

 wagon, but the same subject, hitched only to a light express 

 wagon at slow work, will often prove an exceptionally use- 

 ful horse for many years. The speedway horse, in the same 

 manner, makes a useful roadster or family horse, and so forth 

 through the whole category of equine types. 



