SURGICAL TREATMENT OF THE DISEASES OE THE HOCK JOINT. 
257 
Aseptic Precautions .—Everything must be done in order to 
secure a wound as nearly aseptic as possible. The hair should 
be clipped or shaved from the seat of operation and the skin 
thoroughly scrubbed with a brush, hot water and soap, and 
rubbed dry with a clean rubbing cloth, then bathed with a one to 
one thousand solution of corrosive sublimate, this dried off and 
a five per cent, carbolic acid solution liberally used and allowed 
to remain on. Then proceed to prepare instruments for the 
operation. These consist of a straight and probe pointed teno¬ 
tome, with an extra bistoury, two fine needles threaded with 
about half a yard of fine silver wire, or fine hare-lip pins and 
silk thread, one strong rat toothed forceps, two pressure clamps 
and a thoroughly clean hypodermic syringe and several small 
sponges. These should all be wiped over with a small piece of 
absorbent cotton or sponge soaked in pure carbolic acid, which 
after a few minutes may be dried off with a clean towel, or better, 
a piece of aseptic cotton, and the instrument laid in a five per¬ 
cent. carbolic acid solution. The animal is secured with a twitch 
and side line on limb opposite the one to be operated upon, and 
drawn well forward. About one drachm of a five per cent, cocaine 
solution is injected over the seat of the incision and well dis¬ 
tributed in the connective tissue by rubbing the part with the 
hand. An incision is then made on the inferior third of the 
line indicated, about one and a half or two inches in length, the 
lower part of the incision resting on the head of the rudimentary 
metatarsal at the level of the tarso-metatarsal articulation. It 
is of extreme importance to have all cutting instruments in per¬ 
fect condition, as clearly cut tissues heal much more rapidly 
than do ragged incisions. After having exposed the tendon, the 
probe pointed bistoury is carried under it with the cutting edge 
down, the knife has a perpendicular position, it is then rotated 
into a vertical position by carrying the probe point of the in¬ 
strument well forward into the anterior cul-de-sac of the syn¬ 
ovial bursa. When in this position the edge of the knife is 
rotated outward a half turn, which brings it against the tendon 
in a vertical direction, cutting it from forward backward. The 
