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41 
CASES OF NEUROTOMY. 
By Mr, Edward Rickman, V. S, to the S 0, Salopian 
Yeomanry Cavalry . 
Gentlemen,—It was with great pleasure that I read Mr. Castley 
Letter on the Navicular Disease and Nerve operation, in your last 
number ; as I am one of those who think the operation ought not 
to be discarded, and, when proper cases are selected, the veterina¬ 
rian will not fail in giving satisfaction to his employer, and will 
reflect credit upon himself. 
I have been in business in Shrewsbury nine years, during 
which time I have operated upon nine horses, and which have 
done exceedingly well, particularly three of that number. 
CASE I. 
A bay gelding, five years old, the property of Mr. Wheeler, of 
the Raven Inn, in this town, became suddenly lame upon the 
near fore leg, without any apparent cause ; his foot was examined, 
and every means were taken to ascertain the cause of his lameness: 
he was repeatedly blistered round the coronet, and turned out for 
three months; at the expiration of which time I saw him, and he 
was then so lame that he could scarcely walk into the stable. 
I recommended the operation of unnerving, but Mr. Wheeler had 
a great aversion to it; and it was some time before I could pre¬ 
vail upon him to allow me to do so. I at length operated upon 
him below the fetlock, but, from some motive or other which I 
now cannot account for, I only took out about a quarter of an 
inch of the nerve. The horse got up perfectly sound, and in a 
short time afterwards Mr. Wheeler put him in harness, and used 
him as a post horse for twelve months, when he again became 
lame: it then occurred to me, from the very small portion of 
nerve which I had taken out, that the nerve might have united, 
and I again operated upon him upon the fetlock joint, and re¬ 
moved rather more than an inch : he got up perfectly sound, 
and worked as a post horse for nearly three years, when he met 
. with an accident on one of his hind legs, and was shot. 
CASE II. 
Was a very beautiful chesnut horse, then six years old, the 
property of a farmer in the neighbourhood, who had refused one 
hundred guineas for him. He had very good circular feet, but 
rather strong: he became a little lame in both, but rather more 
so in the near one. The farrier who .attended him used every 
means to get him sound, such as paring the soles, blistering his 
VOL. in. g 
