484 
ANIMAL PATHOLOGY. 
whether I should not have met with something else, for exposing 
the affair in an early volume of The Veterinarian. 
Neurotomy has produced Over-reach. — Mr. Simpson relates 
another description of altered action following neurotomy. A 
horse sadly lame in the off-fore foot was neurotomized. Three 
months afterwards, being quite free from lameness, he was put in 
harness, and driven about twelve miles. He appeared to go very 
well ; but, on arriving at his journey’s end, it was found that the 
off-hind foot was covered with blood, and the heels of the foot 
that had been operated upon were dreadfully bruised and cut by 
repeated blows from the corresponding foot behind. The toe of 
the hind-foot was ordered to be shortened as much as possible : 
but the horse being driven again a few days afterwards, the con- 
tusions were as bad as before, although he did not appear to feel 
the slightest pain, either at the time that the blows were inflicted 
or when the part was pressed upon and examined afterwards. 
Previous to the operation *his action was remarkably good, but, 
afterwards, there was not the same activity in the affected foot, 
and it could not get out of the way of the hind-foot. The horse 
being an aged one, was destroyed. 
The Operation. — Well then, gentlemen, I will suppose that 
you have a fair case. There is nothing in the state of the foot to 
forbid the operation ; and you are not terrified by these minor 
grievances which I have related. You cast your patient, and 
have your instruments ready, namely, a scalpel, a sharp-point- 
ed bistoury, a common crooked needle armed with coarse thread, 
a bit of tow, a calico roller, a tourniquet, a sponge, and a little 
water. 
Comparison between the high and low Operation.^ You will 
have previously determined whether you will operate above or 
below the fetlock. For ringbone, ossified cartilages, anchylosis, 
contraction, and long-continued and obscure lameness unattended 
by much inflammation, you would certainly operate above the 
fetlock ; for navicular disease, if you dared to operate at all in 
such a case, for diseases of the frog, and for chronic founder, 
you are recommended by many to excise a portion of the nerve 
below the fetlock. I have already explained to you the ana- 
tomical relations on which your decision must be founded. The 
tide of veterinary opinion is, however, fast setting in in favour 
of the high operation. There are so many anastomosing branches 
given off immediately below the bifurcation of the metacarpal 
nerve, on or immediately above the fetlock, that on examining a 
leg, carefully prepared for exhibiting the course of the nerves, it 
would at all times be difficult, and occasionally impossible, to 
select a spot where all nervous influence would be cut off, or 
