680 
OPERATION OP TENOTOMY IN THE HORSE. 
condition. In the other case, after the tendon has been 
divided, he finds that the ends do not recede very far from 
each other, nor can he straighten the foot to the extent he 
wishes; he therefore applies greater force, with a view to 
elongate the impediment, or to break it down. This he 
appears to accomplish, and after a time the horse gets his 
heel to the ground. The operator now believes that all is 
done that is required, but, to his annoyance, after about a 
year has passed away from the time the limb was operated 
on, he finds that the heel will be nearly as much elevated 
from the ground as at first. Therefore, to ensure success, 
time ought to be allowed in the first case for the contraction to 
take place, which is known to occur during the consolidation 
of the new material; and in the latter case, where adhesion 
had existed between the two tendons, both ought to have 
been divided. 
I will now give the result of an experiment instituted by 
me during the wunter of 1854-5, on an ass that was bought 
for dissection. Assisted by some of the pupils, I divided, 
by the subcutaneous section, the tendon of the flexor-pedis 
muscle of one of the fore legs, and the superior sesamoid 
ligament of the other. In performing these operations, only 
a few drops of blood were lost. Pledgets of lint were placed 
over the small punctures I had made in the skin, and over 
these, light bandages, and the animal was then led to a loose 
box. 
The following day the bandages were removed ; when no 
swelling could be perceived to have taken place, and on 
the third day the punctures in the skin had apparently 
healed. No trouble whatever was taken with the animal 
from this time, and had it not been for the distorted con¬ 
dition of the limbs, no one would have imagined that any 
operation had been performed on him. 
At the end of three weeks from the time I operated, the 
ass was destroyed. I reserved the fore legs, which I carefully 
examined and prepared for the purpose of having drawings 
made of them. 
