OPERATION OF TENOTOMY IN THE HORSE. 
679 
the full extent, to be too short. This case alone will suffice 
to illustrate the above fact. I could introduce others in 
which the tendons after the operation were thought to be too 
long, but, I believe, that if the animals had been allowed to 
live, and sufficient time to elapse for the contraction of the 
new substance to have taken place, the result, in all proba¬ 
bility, would have been quite satisfactory. 
To show the consequences that may follow the operation 
of C( tenotomyunder different circumstances of disease, 
we will suppose two cases of deformity only in two different 
horses. It matters not which of the legs it is, provided the 
distortion is of equal extent in both ; the pathological con¬ 
dition of the parts, however, shall be different. For example, 
in one case the flexor tendon is diseased so that the heel of 
the foot is persistently raised from the ground, but the 
tendon moves freely in its cellular sheath, which is not 
implicated. In the other supposed case, the tendon is not 
only diseased in the same way, but, in addition, adhesions 
have taken place, both to the surrounding sheath, and also 
to the tendon it is in apposition with, thereby preventing 
the motion that it otherwise would have possessed. Now 
suppose we divide the diseased tendon of each leg, by the 
same kind of section; what will be the comparative results, 
supposing the healing process is equally favorable in both 
cases ? I think most likely they will be somewhat as follows : 
The one in which there was disease of the substance of the 
tendon only will, when divided, recede to such an extent that 
the cut ends will be at a considerable distance from each 
other, and the new substance, which will be thrown out to 
repair the gap, will be disproportionately lengthened. But 
in the other case, where adhesions had taken place as above 
described, the cut ends of the tendon cannot recede from 
each other only a short distance, and consequently the inter¬ 
vening new portion will be, as compared with that in the 
former case, very short; and if no means be resorted to so 
as to elongate it, and break down the bands of adhesion, the 
operation will be a failure. 
In deformities similar to the above, the inexperienced or 
unreflecting operator may be greatly deceived in his attempts 
to remove distortion by this operation. In the first case 
he may think, from the toe being turned up, that when 
perfect reparation has taken place, the tendon will be too 
long, and this may induce him to put a high-heel shoe on 
the foot, for the purpose of favouring contraction of the new 
substance, he not being aware of the amount of shortening 
that is sure to take place if the parts be left in the above 
