A CASE OF NEUROTOMY. 
311 
tendons; the limb remained quite straight/ and I have no doubt 
the animal will be not only useful again, but almost as effective 
as ever, for slow work. 
My friend, Mr. Henderson, also of Edinburgh, informed me that 
he has had occasion to perform this operation more than once; 
and I am sure, from a paper he has read to me on the subject, 
and which I could wish to see him publish, that he can bear tes¬ 
timony of its utility. I have been induced to attempt a descrip¬ 
tion of the operation as I saw it practised by Mr. Dick ; for al¬ 
though a good deal was said of it some time ago, especially in 
the Sporting Magazine, I am not aware any one has given a de¬ 
tailed account of it; and it will be seen that it requires somewhat 
more nicety and manual dexterity than merely cutting slap-bang 
through the flexor tendons, as has been said. If I have not 
made a faithful report of it, or have omitted any thing material, 
I beg Mr. Dick may correct me. 
A CASE OF NEUROTOMY. 
By Mr. Richard Cortis, V. S., Shipton, near York. 
I n November last I was sent for to look at a bay carriage horse, 
belonging to the Rev. Mr. Dealtry, of Wigginton, in this neigh¬ 
bourhood, which had been lame of his near fore foot for upwards 
of two years: various means had been resorted to, but without 
success; he continued getting progressively worse, and was, at 
the time I was called in, absolutely useless. I found the foot 
contracted in a very high degree, with considerable ossification of 
the lateral cartilages: he stood pointing his toe, and was with 
difficulty turned round in his stall. After a few days of prepara¬ 
tory treatment, I proceeded to operate above the pastern joint, 
excising about an inch of the nerve on each side : he got up com¬ 
paratively sound ; in a few days was quite so ; at the end of seven 
weeks resumed his work in the carriage ; and has continued sound 
and at work up to the present day. 
P.S. If any one of your numerous correspondents, who has 
paid attention to the diseases of homed cattle, would take the 
trouble of communicating, through the medium of your work, the 
most successful method of treating that fatal disorder amongst 
cows, commonly called the milk fever, he would confer a great 
obligation on those who practise that branch of the veterinary 
profession. 
