NEUROTOMY. 671 
fitting time chosen for its performance, similar results may be san- 
guinely and pretty surely anticipated. 
The Success of Neurotomy is best shewn by cases: — The 
late Mr. Castley, V.S. to the 12th Lancers, whose name in the 
early numbers of The VETERINARIAN stands in no ordinary esti- 
mation as a man of sound, penetrating, practical observation, has 
put two cases on record of great value to us in this place. 
Case 1. — October 1, 1819, a bay gelding, belonging to his regi- 
ment, the 12th Lancers, fell suddenly lame of the near fore leg 
on the road between Hounslow Barracks and Hampton Court. 
Nothing was discovered to account for the lameness, either in the 
leg or foot. He was immediately placed under treatment, bled in 
the foot, physicked, &c., but all to no purpose. At the expiration 
of a month, although he stood in the stable as firmly upon one foot 
as upon the other, yet, when put in motion, “ he was as lame 
almost as if his leg was broken.” The shoulder was now imagined 
to be in fault, and under such a supposition was tended ; but with 
no better success than when the foot was treated. On the 10th of 
January following, it was determined to try the effect of nerving 
(neurotomy). The horse arose after the operation, “and trotted 
sound. In a month he was in the ranks, and he remained in the 
regiment upwards of eight years afterwards, during which time he 
continued quite sound, although he was sometimes put to very 
considerable exertion.” In 1828 the horse was “ cast and sold” 
at Lisbon, the regiment being at the time in Portugal ; not, how- 
ever, on account of lameness, but for old age, and even then “ he 
fetched £20.” 
Case 2 of Mr. Castley’s is one in which both fore feet were 
successfully operated upon. A brown gelding, a troop horse, had 
been observed frequently to stand pointing or resting the fore feet, 
and particularly the off foot. For two years, however, after first 
observing this, he had not been reported “ lame ;” nor did he 
become absolutely so until the hot summer of 1826, when, after a 
severe ride on despatch duty, he went very lame in the off fore 
leg, for which (on the 14th June) treatment was commenced, such 
as bloodletting from the foot, blistering the coronet, purging, &c. 
and this produced great relief. Exercise, however, brought back the 
lameness. The latter end of August, the lameness being regarded as 
“ chronic,” and Mr. Castley’s conviction being that it was “navicular 
lameness,” neurotomy was determined on, and on the 1st of Sep- 
tember was put in practice. As in the last case, the horse arose 
from the operation, “ and went sound.” The consequence was he 
escaped being “ cast ” for sale, and was chosen as “ one of the 
effective for the expedition to Portugal.” He carried his rider all 
the time the regiment remained abroad, and returned, and was at 
