10 
REMOVAL Of A SUPERNUMERARY LEG. 
In some instances, when anaesthesia has been produced to 
the full extent in horses, I have known them to remain 
insensible, and unable to rise, for as long as twenty minutes 
after the agent has been taken away from the nostrils. 
Indeed, often we have deemed it advisable to raise the head, and 
throw cold water on it; and when consciousness seemed to 
have returned, and a desire to rise manifested, we have fre¬ 
quently been obliged to render assistance, so as to enable the 
animal to accomplish the act; and even when on its legs, 
further support was necessary for a short distance, while he 
staggered away from the operating shed. I may further add, 
that I have seen the effects of the agent on the horse for 
several hours after he has been placed in the stable. But I am 
digressing from the particulars of my case. 
THE OPERATION. 
The colt was cast in the usual way, and, as soon as its legs 
were secured, chloroform was applied to its nostrils, as 
already described, and in about seven or eight minutes it was 
partially under the influence of the agent, which was evi¬ 
denced by sensation being scarcely perceptible when the skin 
was pricked with a pin. 
The leg to be operated upon was now removed from the 
hobbles, and a crib-halter placed upon the principal foot of 
the limb, and given in charge to an assistant. As the super¬ 
numerary leg was nearly as large as the other, it would 
doubtless be supplied with blood-vessels of a corresponding 
size; therefore,to arrest the haemorrhage likely to ensue, I tieda 
piece of tape firmly around the limb, a little above the 
pastern joint. I then made an oblique incision, commencing 
from the inside, opposite the articulation of the first 
phalange (the long pastern bone) with the metacarpal 
branch of the bone, and this was carried downwards in front 
to the hoof. From the same point above I made a similar 
incision, which was carried downwards at the back part of 
the limb, to meet the one in front. This being done, I 
passed the knife quite through, from before backwards, and 
divided all the tissues which connected the supernumerary 
limb with the other, except at the articulation at the pastern 
joint. This I effected by carrying the knife around, cutting- 
through the capsular and articular ligaments, and also the 
tendons (for the additional limb was supplied with tendons), 
nerves, and blood-vessels. When cutting through the nerves, 
a convulsive struggle took place, but it immediately sub¬ 
sided. The plantar arteries had to be taken up, and a 
