OPERATION OF TENOTOMY IN THE HORSE. 
683 
To perform this operation subcutaneously, the foot and 
pastern bones should be well flexed upon the large metacarpal 
bone. This position of the limb will cause the ligament in 
question to be very lax; the bistoury is then to be placed 
flatwise between it, the flexor tendon, the large metacarpal 
artery, vein, and nerve, all of which will press against the 
back of the knife when its edge is turned against the liga¬ 
ment, which should now be rendered tense, and then with a 
slight sawing movement with the knife, the ligament will be 
easily severed. The knife is then to be turned flat on its 
side again, and carefully withdrawn. We must expect to 
lose more blood in this operation than during the division 
of the flexor tendon, but not sufficient to cause any appre¬ 
hension, as the haemorrhage may be easily arrested by a 
compress. 
The place I should choose to make the division of the liga¬ 
ment, is a little above its bifurcation, or at the upper portion 
of its inferior third. I prefer this part for the following 
reasons: First, from its being a little above the bursae of the 
pastern-joint; secondly, because if much above this point, 
the ligament is imbedded between the two small metacar- 
pals, or, if in the hind leg, the two small metatarsal bones, 
which would interfere with the section. 
The objects I had in view in carefully dissecting the limbs 
I operated upon were—1, for the purpose of examining the 
amount of reparation that had taken place ; 2, the character 
of the material thrown out for that purpose ; and 3, the relative 
connexion it held to the original tendon and the surrounding 
parts. As far as the skin was concerned, scarcely any in¬ 
dication of an operation having been performed could be 
detected, so completely had the punctures healed. The 
areolar tissue in the neighbourhood of the wound was slightly 
infiltrated with organized lymph, and at the point where the 
knife entered, it w as of a reddish-browm colour like the rust 
of iron, w hich appearance w as doubtless caused by the blood 
effused at the time the operation was performed. 
There was a slight difference in the size, form, and colour 
of the new substance which intervened between the divided 
ends of the tendon and ligament. That between the cut ends 
of the tendon, as a whole, was quite as large as the original, 
except at its low 7 er part, which w 7 as constricted; w 7 hile the 
new material, between the divided ends of the ligament, was 
a little larger throughout and deeper in colour. 
The above difference in aspect and size of this new 7 tissue, 
in each leg, may depend upon the following causes, w hich in 
a surgical point of view are interesting. With reference to 
