OPERATION OF TRACHEOTOMY IN THE HORSE. 
571 
one would think of opening the trachea, and inserting a tube, 
until all chances of the animal’s recovery without such an 
operation had vanished. When the necessity to do so has 
arrived, and the veterinary surgeon promptly performs the 
operation, the owner of the animal, and those also who may 
happen to witness the operation, are not only gratified but 
greatly surprised at the sudden relief afforded ; and, should 
the animal survive, the practitioner is extolled for his ability; 
or should the horse die, even although this operation be per¬ 
formed, it will be considered that the practitioner did all that 
could have been done in such a case. But if he loses his 
patient through defective instruments, as might have been 
the case with the two horses referred to by Mr. Henderson, the 
owner of the horse would most likely attach all the blame to 
the operator; and if he were informed of the real cause, he 
would, as a matter of course say, the operator ought to see 
that his instruments are perfect, and fit for the purposes that 
he is using them for. 
The veterinary surgeon, when he buys an instrument, 
merely looks to its form, and suitability for the purpose he 
requires it. If, for example, he is purchasing a scalpel, he 
does not use any means to ascertain if its blade is made of 
iron, “case hardened n and polished, or whether it is a fine piece 
of cast steel: he expects it is made from the latter. The 
same would be the case if he is buying a tracheotomy tube. 
If its form and dimensions are what he wants, he takes it for 
granted that the manufacturer has put its parts together suf¬ 
ficiently strong to resist the ordinary force the instrument 
has to sustain. Should these remarks come under the notice 
of instrument makers, I hope it may induce them to be more 
particular in seeing that their workmen make sound articles. 
In manufacturing the common tracheotomy tube, I would 
suggest that the tube be passed through the shield about 
one eighth of an inch, or a little less. A small collar or ring 
should be placed on the small protruding portion, and then 
well soldered. This, if neatly done, would not be unsightly, 
and would ensure safety. 
It is very remarkable that about the same time those cases 
were forwarded to me by Mr. Henderson, a case nearly iden¬ 
tical with them took place in the practice of human medicine, 
and so forcibly is thus shown the necessity for more attention 
being paid to the manufacturing of those kind of instruments, 
that I am induced to extract the particulars of it, which are 
taken from the Edinburgh Medical Journal for August, p. 187. 
“ Tracheotomy tube dropped into the left bronchus .—Mr. Spence 
mentioned the particulars of a rare accident which had 
