NEUROTOMY. 
3(j:3 
pain, abrasion, and gradual destruction of these parts. In his 
attempts to remove or even alleviate this disease, Mr. Moorcroft 
was almost invariably foiled, although he adopted every mechani- 
cal contrivance which could be suggested, and every variety of 
temperature, and every soothing and stimulating application. 
Tying the Metacarpal Artery. — He then had recourse to the 
cutting off of the supply of blood. He imagined that he should 
thus lessen the degree of inflammation, and give a better chance 
to other means and appliances. First he tied one of the meta- 
carpal arteries, but without alleviating the pain. He then — having 
a little while before tied both the carotids, and successfully, in 
another horse labouring under inflammation of the brain — passed 
ligatures round both the external and internal metacarpal arteries. 
In no instance, however, was the horse benefitted; on the con- 
trary, contraction of the foot seemed to be hastened thereby, and 
the lameness proportionably increased. 
Dividing the Nerve of the Leg. — He at length turned his 
thoughts to another way of subduing the increased sensibility of 
the part, viz. by diminishing the proportion of nerve naturally 
distributed on the foot. He laid bare, he does not say whether 
one of the metacarpal or the plantar nerves, and cut it with a 
pair of scissors. There was “ immediate and decided lessening of 
lameness/’ and sometimes the horse rose perfectly sound : but this 
happy result was not always permanent ; for the lameness re- 
turned after the lapse of a few weeks, and often after very slight 
exertion. It was supposed that the divided ends of the nerve 
had re-united ; and therefore, in order to prevent this, about a 
quarter of an inch of the nerve was excised. The reproduction 
of nervous substance was not at that time dreamed of. If nerv- 
ous influence was subsequently restored, it was supposed to be 
in some roundabout way, or a mere accidental affair, and not to 
be effected in the line from which a portion of nerve had been 
extracted. By this operation considerable relief was usually 
given ; but the lameness was not quite removed in every case, 
and in too many it speedily returned. 
The Division of both the Nerves. — He now tried a bolder ex- 
periment. He determined to excise a portion of both the outer 
and inner metacarpal, and thus to destroy the whole sensibility of 
the foot. It was a noble experiment. He selected for this purpose 
a mare that had been operated on by the division of the nerve on 
one side with evident advantage, but who had relapsed. I will 
give you the history of this experiment in Mr. Moorcroft’s own 
words. I make no apology for the length of the story. It is the 
history of the first case of complete neurotomy — excision of the 
nerve on both sides of the leg — that was ever performed. “ The 
