SUBCUTANEOUS CAUDAL MYOTOMY. 89 



with the thumb and finger of one hand while the trocar is 

 drawn out with the other. This tends to prevent particles 

 of ingesta from following the canula out of the intestine and 

 becoming lodged at some point in the track of the wound to 

 set up inflammatory processes there. Before introduction, 

 the trocar should alwa3's be rendered sterile but should not 

 bear irritant antiseptics, which becoming lodged in the 

 wound tend to irritate the tissues and produce abscesses. 

 Puncture of the intestine is so often extremely urgent that 

 deliberate aseptic precautions are not always practicable and 

 trocarization only too frequently results in abscesses in the 

 abdominal wall. Its prevention must depend chiefly upon 

 the disinfection of the skin and instrument. It becomes 

 important to use an instrument which is clean in advance. 

 If the one shown in fig. 5 is well disinfected after using and 

 the sheath is filled with alcohol before it is screwed on, the 

 instrument will remain sterile until it is again unsheathed 

 and then the alcohol will quickly evaporate and leave it 

 aseptic. 



22. SUBCUTANEOUS CAUDAI, MYOTOMY. 

 Fig. 6. 



Object. The correction of curved tail. 



Instruments. Sharp straight tenotome, bandage. 



Technic. The point or points of curvature and their 

 extent are to be carefully noted by having the animal trotted 

 away from the operator. The curvature is generally due to 

 unequal development of the two levator or extensor muscles, 

 Fig. d.-e, though quite rarely the depressors, /, may be 

 implicated. Confine the animal in stocks, or in default of 

 these, control by means of a twitch and sideline. Cleanse and 

 disinfect the tail and have it sharply bent by an assistant in 

 the opposite direction to the curvature. l,ocate the longi- 

 tudinal furrow between the levator and depressor muscles on 



