54 M. DUPUY ON THE OPERATION OF NEUROTOMY. 
same, and yet the results were different. Must we, then, regard 
the loss of the hoofs as a mere accident ? Such is not our advice. 
We can only recognise as the cause of these differences the 
return of the nervous action, or its entire destruction. 
That the history of neurotomy may be complete, we must not 
only know precisely the diseases which require that operation 
and their different surgical procedures, but, above all, the or¬ 
ganic changes which take place between the extremities of the 
divided nerve. We know well that it is sufficient to bring* into 
contact the two ends of a nerve which has been cut, in order 
that its function shall be re-established—that when the nerve has 
been cut again, the function has returned without other interme¬ 
diate agency than that of the neighbouring tissues—that if the 
distance was not too great between the ends, they were speedily 
united by a substance which was formed between them, and 
which re-established tire nervous influence in a durable manner. 
We may, then, rest on these propositions, which are demonstrated 
in order to give those explanations, which, otherwise no direct 
experience has yet afforded. - 
The vagueness of the rules prescribed for the operation of 
neurotomy authorise us to think that the veterinarians w ho have 
practised it, have not all of them adopted the same mode of pro¬ 
ceeding; and also, that when a surgeon has performed the opera¬ 
tion several times, he has each time varied its form. This sup¬ 
position may be easily admitted. It is natural that a veterinarian 
w r ho has frequently practised neurotomy should vary the modes, 
in order to appreciate their value and fix on the best. Thus, if 
a veterinarian has at one time performed the operation of neuro¬ 
tomy by a simple division, at another time by a second division at 
the distance of some lines, and a third time by a much more dis¬ 
tant re-section, he will, in each case, obtain a different result. The 
first operation would have no effect; the second would suspend 
the nervous energy until the formation of the substance or cicatrix 
which re-unites the divided ends, find the third would have that 
of destroying for ever the influence of the nerve; and in these 
three circumstances the parts below the place of the operation 
either would not be affected, or w r ould be so in different degrees. 
The first operation would not cause any change; the second, in 
suspending for a certain time sensibility and the nutritive and se¬ 
cretory phenomena in the foot, might perhaps effect a cure; the 
third would produce a similar effect; but nutrition and sensibility 
not being re-established, separation of the horn w ould be the 
consequence of the total loss of nervous energy. 
We have said that the operation, which, only momentarily 
destroying the influence of the nerve, permits it to be re-esta- 
