ON NICKING. 
27 
Some days after his discharge from the institution, a visit was 
made to him. He retained no trace whatever of his complaint. 
At the present time—25th July—he is performing his regular 
work. To resume : It is evident, in this instance, that the disease 
completely yielded to etherization, unassisted by any other medical 
aid, continued for nearly twenty days; though there was con¬ 
sumed the enormous quantity of 26*4 pints (quinze litres). 
Nevertheless, with an apparatus well adjusted round the muzzle, 
and with ether of good quality, the treatment of tetanus would not, 
of necessity, call for so outrageous a quantity. 
A strange Case consequent on Nicking. 
By Reichert, V.S., Winzig. 
[Translated by W. Ernes, M.R.C.V.S.] 
MAJOR L -required Herr Reichert to perform the operation 
of nicking on one of his horses, as it did not carry the tail high 
enough to please him. Accordingly, on the 21st of March, 1846, 
the operation was performed in the usual way. Three incisions 
were made on each side, with very little loss of blood. After the 
operation, the tail was suspended by strings running through small 
pulleys, and the stall so arranged as to prevent the horse from 
rubbing the parts on either side. At the end of twelve hours the 
bandage was removed. The wounds had a good appearance, and 
every thing seemed to be going on favourably. The next day the 
parts were fomented with warm water, and some dry tow was ap¬ 
plied to the wounds. The horse was lively, and ate his rations 
with good appetite. On the fourth day after the operation, the sup¬ 
puration of the slough was established, and the swelling was mode¬ 
rate. The fomentations were continued daily, and the tail ele¬ 
vated somewhat higher. This was continued until the eighth day 
after the operation, when a peculiar twitching was observed; and 
if suddenly approached, the horse would draw himself up, and 
bring his tail between his legs as close as the weights would per¬ 
mit him. These symptoms induced M. Reichert to make a careful 
examination of the parts, when he found that the middle w’ound, 
which unfortunately corresponded to a vertebral articulation, had a 
very untoward appearance. The articular ligaments, he observed, 
were torn asunder, thereby exposing the surface of the articulation. 
