280 



OPERATIONS ON BONES. 



At a later period, special knives called tail cutters, were in- 

 troduced. These were peculiar large shears, differing more or less 

 in general form and in that of their cutting edges, but which were 

 used in the same manner, and are stiU in common use by many 

 practitioners. The manner of using them is very simple. The tail, 

 prepared as before mentioned, and held horizontally by an assist- 

 ant, is so placed in a hollow formed in the edge of the shears as to 

 insure a perpendicular stroke, and the division is made by closing 

 the blades with a single quick and forcible motion. Other instru- 

 ments were invented to work by springs. 



Fig. 296.— Spring Tail Cutter. 



Some practitioners, instead of dividing the entire thickness of 

 the organ, prefer to do so by disarticulating the vertebrae vdth a 

 bistoury, first making flaps on each side of the skin in order to 

 find the joint. 



Zdi Step. — To stop the Hemorrhage. — The moment the taU is 

 amputated three streams of blood spring from the stump, with 

 more or less force, according to the position of the member, unless 

 a ligature or an elastic bandage has been previously applied. In 



