92 
W. L. WILLIAMS. 
and had finally become unmanageable after one year’s annoyance 
and danger to to the driver. 
This animal would constantly try to kick whenever she 
could catch the rein or when the breeching would press against 
her in going down hill, the kicking being accompanied by 
• switching of the tail and urination. 
Placed upon the operating table she was treated the same as 
the previous animal by student L., and being released was im¬ 
mediately hitched to the wagon and has been kept daily at work 
without any suggestion of vice.. 
We have observed equally prompt subsidence of vice in geld¬ 
ings after this operation. 
The technique of our operation is extremely simple : the 
animal being secured in the lateral recumbent position and the 
necessary antiseptic precautions taken, an elastic bandage is 
applied firmly from the apex upward to the base of the tail in 
order to render it bloodless, a tourniquet of pure gum tubing 
applied closely to the base of the tail, the compression bandage 
removed and the operation field rendered aseptic. 
The tail being sharply flexed dorsally by an assistant, a linear 
incision is made over each depressor coccygeus muscle midway 
between the ischio-coccygeus and inferior border of levator 
coccygeus, beginning close against the tourniquet and extending 
for about five inches towards the apex of the tail, severing the 
skin and caudal aponeurosis, exposing the bare muscle. The 
latter is readily separated from its enveloping aponeurosis either 
with the blade or handle of the scalpel, the envelope being lifted 
from the muscle with a tenaculum or retractor. A small probe- 
pointed bistoury is next inserted at the base of the incision on 
either side of the muscle and the latter completely severed. 
The dissection is now completed by cutting away the vertebral 
attachments of the muscle down to the distal end of the initial 
incision, where it is excised in the same manner as at the base. 
The prolongation of the ischio-coccygeus is left intact. The 
muscles removed, the cavities remaining are tamponaded with 
•cotton or gauze of the form and size of the muscle removed, 
