398 
EXTIRPATION OF THE PAROTID GLAND. 
and remained free from every kind of disorder connected with his 
old complaint, with the exception of some^nlargernent of the por¬ 
tion of duct remaining between the angle and border of the jaw: 
this, however, was at most only a trifling eye-sore, and easily 
admitted of excision. 
Extirpation of the Parotid Gland. 
To this formidable operation my attention was first called, by 
perusing an article in the Recueil de Medecine Vtttrinairej" 
Vol. I, p. 133^ entitled Salivary Fistula cured by the Extirpation 
of the Parotid Gland, by M. Leblanc, V.S. at Paris.The parti¬ 
culars of Leblanc’s case are briefly as follow:— 
A horse-dealer, in order to dispose of a horse to more advan¬ 
tage that was jugged on the oft-side, prevailed on a farrier to 
cut out the tumefied glands. Immediately after the operation, as 
the animal was eating some com, they were astonished at seeing 
a stream of limpid fluid from the wound. The actual cautery 
was employed to stop the issue to no purpose: at length the ani¬ 
mal was brought to M'. Leblanc, who saw no other means of cure 
left but extirpation. For three days he prepared the subject for 
it; and on the fourth, cast the horse, stretched out his head, and 
rendered the parotid to be excised more prominent, by. placing a 
bundle of straw under the neck so as to press against the opposite 
gland. Leblanc made a longitudinal incision from one extremity 
of the gland to the other, much nearer to its anterior than posterior 
border; next, he cut through the fibres of the panniculus carnosus 
and retrahens aurisinferior, by which he exposed the gland. He put 
two ligatures around the facial vein, and divided the vessel be¬ 
tween them, having first, by accident, wounded it. A similar ac¬ 
cident made it necessary for him to tie the temporal ailery, in do¬ 
ing which he unwittingly included in the ligature some branches 
belonging to the portio dura. He had to take up, besides these, 
several small veins and arteries. 
In consequence of the division and ligaturization of the facial 
nerves, as soon as the animal was risen, he found the lips para¬ 
lysed. This rendered it extremely difficult for the mare to gather 
up her corn, which she was compelled to do (like a dog) with her 
tongue; she also experienced difficulty in swallowing; and, be¬ 
sides, the operation was followed by fever and considerable in¬ 
flammation of the surrounding parts. This, however, was sub¬ 
dued, and all ultimately did well. The operation was performed 
in the middle of April; but it was the month of July following be¬ 
fore, it appears, the animal had perfectly recovered. It is but 
justice to M. Leblanc here to state, that lie confesses he under- 
