TENOTOMY PERFORMED ON A FILLY. 123 
that the operation should be performed with as little pain to 
the animal as possible. It was therefore placed under the 
influence of chloroform. To accomplish this, the foal was 
cast in the usual way, and the agent applied to its nostrils, 
which soon produced anaesthesia, this being evinced by its 
not flinching when the skin was pricked with a pin. Three 
of the animaks legs were secured, the one to be operated 
upon being held by an assistant. The tendon was divided 
by a subcutaneous section, midway between the knee and 
fetlock-joint (a, fig. 1). I preferred operating on the inner 
surface of the leg rather than the outer, in order that the 
small cicatrix which might be left should not be so apparent. 
The limb being slightly flexed by the assistant, enabled me 
to feel the space between the two tendons—the perforatus 
and perforans. Into this space I inserted the knife, which 
was a very narrow one, flatwise, pushing it no farther than 
the opposite side of the tendon, and taking care not to pass 
it through the skin on the other side of the limb. I now 
turned the edge of the scalpel against the perforans tendon— 
the one I wished to divide, at the same time directing that 
the limb should be extended; this rendered the tendon 
tense, when with a slight sawing movement of the knife it 
was at once divided. This was indicated by a jerk, and also 
by the facility with which the pedal bone could be moved 
upon the os coronae. 
The operation was performed with scarcely any loss of 
blood, and only a very small external wound, was made. In 
a few 7 minutes after the operation the filly was conscious 
and again on her legs. A light calico bandage was placed on 
the limb over the wound, which w 7 as ordered to be kept wet 
with cold water, and she was led to her box. No untow 7 ard 
circumstance whatever supervened, with the exception of 
her having a slight attack of influenza, which retarded the 
reparative process for a short time; as soon, however, as her 
health returned, it progressed very rapidly ; and in about six 
w r eeks after the tendon was divided, the intervening space 
had become filled up, and was apparently consolidated. In 
her walk she placed the foot fairly upon the ground. There 
was no perceptible enlargement wffiere the operation w r as 
performed, and the small cicatrix could only with some 
difficulty be detected. 
To the above statement I will only add, that about eight 
years since the dam of this filly became lame of the off fore 
foot, from disease of the navicular bone; and she continued 
so, more or less, for about two years and a half, when the 
pain and lameness were so great that, upon being con- 
