82 



SUnCUTANEOtJS CAUDAL MYOTOMY. 



most prornineiil part of cm\'ation, the incision being parallel 

 witli the muscnlar fil)ers, and pnsh the instrument entirely 

 through the muscle to the \'ertebra, then turning the cutting 

 edge upwards, at the same time advancing the point of the 

 tenotome toward the median hue, sever the entire muscle. 

 The superior lateral caudal artery, i\ Fig. 6, bleeds profusely 

 if severed, and wountling of it may usually be avoided b}' 

 withdrawing the tenotome a trifle in passing that point. 

 Wounding the skin over the muscular incision is avoided by 



Fig. 5. 



Transverse section of tlie tail, n, caudal vertebra ; c, sacro- 

 coccy<ieus lateralis muscle ; e, sacro-cocC3'geus superior ; _/, 

 depressor longus and brevis muscles ( sacro-coccygeus infer- 

 ior ) ; z, intertransversales muscles ; a, coccygeal artery ; .5, su- 

 pero-lateral coccygeal artery ; /, infero-lateral coccygeal ar- 

 tery ; V, caudal venrs (dorsal, ventral, lateral) ; scli^ caudal 

 fascia ; //, skin. 



placing the thumb of the left hand over the line of incision 

 so the knife will be recognized as soon as the muscle and 

 caudal fascia are cut through. Remove the knife in the same 

 manner as introduced. I-ielease the horse and have him 

 trotted agai n . //' tlic operation is sufficient tlic tail sJioitId curve 

 in about the same de'^-)ee as before, but in the opposite direc- 



