NEUEOTOMY. 685 



the leg, and over the course of the nerve, which will thus become 

 exposed to view, or may be found with very little trouble. As 

 a horse not under the influence of chloroform or cocaine, will 

 make a violent backward movement with his leg on the snip being 

 given with the scissors ; the operator should work from the front. 

 The peculiar shape §f the rowelling scissors, with its powerful 

 leverage and curved-in points, will greatly facilitate the making of 

 the incision. If the animal be under the influence of chloroform, 

 the knife, which is certainly the neater weapon of the two, should 

 be employed. I have seen such disastrous results from the use of 

 the knife, even in professional hands, that I would deprecate its 

 employment at this stage of the operation, or when freeing the 

 nerve from its surrounding connective tissue, unless the patient has 

 been rendered insensible by some anaesthetic, such as chloroform 

 or cocaine. 



The incision through the skin having been made, expose the 

 nerve, which may not at first be visible, by tearing away the loose 

 overlying tissue by means of some blunt instrument, like the point 

 of a pin director or of a dissecting forceps. The tissue readily 

 gives way, and in the event of the animal struggling no risk is run 

 of wounding the artery or vein ; in either of which eventualities a 

 copious rush of blood would greatly interfere with the operation, 

 unless a tourniquet is employed. The nerve should not only be 

 exposed as much as the length of the incision through the skin 

 will allow it to be done ; but also be freed from any attachment 

 on its under side, by passing the instrument, whichever one be 

 used, under the nerve. 



The vein being dark in colour, may be easily distinguished ; 

 but the difference between the artery and nerve is not so readily 

 seen. The artery, however, is the larger, and is more " yielding " 

 when pressed by the forceps. Its " throbbing," also, will indicate the 

 circulation of blood through it. With a tourniquet, there will of 

 course be little or no throbbing, and the artery will be in* a collapsed 

 state. The nerve, when cleared of its surrounding connective tissue, 

 looks white, shows longitudinal fibres, feels hard, and is extremely 

 sensitive when the animal is not under the influence of chloroform. 

 The operator having dissected the nerve clear of any loose tissue, 

 may pass a curved suture needle, armed with thick thread, under 

 it ; in doing which, a pin director will come in handy. The 

 thread should now be knotted in a loop and the -needle cut o£E. 

 The nerve, by means of the thread, may be pulled out and divided 

 as high as possible, with a sharp, narrow knife. This snip will 

 naturally inflict intense, though only momentary pain on the 

 animal, if chloroform or cocaine has not been used. Sensation 

 being now destroyed, the horse will cease the struggles he had 



