NEUROTOMY. 
269 
Case I 
Was a chestnut mare, sixteen hands high, possessing great mus- 
cular power, temperate with hounds, and very fast, well known to 
the Puckeridge Hunt. She fell lame in the navicular joint, for 
which she was blistered and fired without any beneficial result. 
She was then sold to a gentleman in town, who had the operation 
of neurotomy performed on both legs above the joint ; after which 
she went sound, but with an apparent loss of speed. 
Case II. 
A well-bred chestnut mare, fifteen hands high, who had been 
hunted in Surrey. She had navicular lameness. I operated on 
her under the joint, and excised about an inch of the plantar nerve : 
she went sound, but lost her pace, and was sold to go in harness. 
Case III. 
A beautiful well-bred bay horse, sixteen hands high, well known 
with the Surrey hounds. He had a navicular lameness, was bled 
in the foot, blistered, and fired round the coronet. 
I told the owner that he had performed an useless operation, and 
advised him to have the horse neurotomized ; but to this he would 
not consent. After a long rest he appeared much better, and was 
then ridden with the hounds ; when, on the first day, he became 
as lame as ever. A few days afterwards I bought him for a small 
sum, and divided the metacarpal nerve in the near fore leg, after 
which he went perfectly sound. 1 kept him two months as my 
hack about town. I then sold him to a dealer, telling him he had 
been neurotomized. He wished to see him perform ; and, conse- 
quently, we had a spirt across the country for two miles, when I 
found he could neither go the pace nor in the style that he for- 
merly did ; and in one down-hill j ump he brought his fore foot so far 
under him as to strike my stirrup ; all which I conceived to be the 
consequence of the operation. I, however, sold him to the dealer, 
who afterwards sold him to a crack steeple-chase rider. He after- 
wards carried a lady with the Surrey hounds. 
Case IV. 
A compact, strong, and clever horse with hounds, but navicu- 
larly lame. I was consulted by the owner, whom I told that the 
only cure would be the nerve operation, to which he consented. 
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