THE 
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Lii da 
VETERINARIAN. 
VOL. XXI, 
No. 244. 
APRIL 1848. 
Third Series, 
No. 4. 
LAMENESS IN HORSES. 
By William Percivall, M.R.C.S. and VS. 
Neurotomy. 
[Continued from page 66.] 
HAVING determined on the fitness of the subject for neurotomy, 
and put him through such preparative treatment, or assigned him 
such resting time by way of preparation, as is deemed requisite, 
we proceed to take 
Steps for the Operation.— But the operation, after all, must 
be regarded only as secondary in importance, subservient quite to 
the considerations of fitness of subject, and to the time when, and 
site (in the limb) where, its performance is to be undertaken. 
What success may follow the operation is not so much attri- 
butable to any anatomical knowledge or dexterity displayed by 
the operator, as to the judgment he had exercised beforehand in 
foretelling what the result of neurotomy was likely to be in that 
particular case. 
In all operations, success a good way depends upon circum- 
stances, which are, for the most part, under the control of the 
medical practitioner. Fitness of subject is the chief of these ; 
preparation of him is another ; and last, but not least in animals, 
comes the securing of the subject, and the placing the part to be 
operated on in that position in which the operator can best exercise 
his power and judgment. 
Attempts have been made, and are we believe on occasions still 
made, to perform neurotomy while the horse is standing, using a 
bistoury in lieu of a scalpel, in a manner we shall hereafter describe. 
For our own part, however, we advocate casting in all such opera- 
tions. Let the animal, we say, be cast with hobbles in the usual 
VOL. XXI. B b 
