282 OPEEATIONS ON BONES. 



of the mutilation to which he has been subjected. We leave the 

 elastic band in place for from twenty-four to thirty-six hours, pos- 

 sibly loosening it once during that time, or tightening it, if any 

 oozing of blood is discovered, and removing it entirely as soon as 

 it becomes safe to do so. 



The stump generally needs no special care, except ia cases of 

 possible complications which may foUow the operation. The am- 

 putation of the tail by flaps is also performed by some veterinarians 

 vrith great success, this mode leaving a wound which generally heals 

 very rapidly and without the ordinary possibility of compUcation. 



Among these are, first, hemorrhage. The occurrence of this 

 is an evidence that the hemostasia has been imperfect, proba^ 

 bly the cauterization has not been sufficiently thorough; or the 

 torsion of the arteries has been insufficient; or the Hgature has 

 been loosely tied. This accident requires a repetition of the man- 

 ipulation, and perhaps another cauterization or torsion or ligature. 

 With the apphcation of our elastic band this can scarcely ever oc- 

 cur. If it does, another turn of the band wiU complete the work. 



Had aspect of the Stump. — The amputation of the tail by sec- 

 tion through the continuity of the bone, as commonly happens 

 when the tail-cutters have been used, leaves in the center of the 

 wound a projecting portion of a vertebrae, which is usually burnt 

 by the cautery, when this has been used. As the result of this, 

 and surrounding the mortt&ed bone, large granulations rapidly 

 appear, overlapping the circular edges of the wound, and char- 

 acterized by an abundant discharge. The necrotic bone must 

 then be amputated and the granulations heavily cauterized with 

 caustics of the potential kind ; the saturated solution of chloride 

 of zinc makiug an excellent prescription for the purpose required. 

 To obviate this complication the operator wiU do well, when any 

 portions of vertebrae have been left iu the stump, to remove the 

 fragments with the bone forceps rather than to wait for their re- 

 moval by the natural process of necrosis. We have never encoun- 

 tered these comp. 'ations when using the elastic band, being 

 careful to amputate at the articulation of the vertabrae. The 

 powdered dressings we have used have always kept the granulations 

 under control. 



Multiple Abscesses. — We have met these once, as the result 

 of the presence of a very thick scab, which prevented the escape 

 of the underlying suppuration. 



