THE SCIENCE VERSUS THE ART OF VETERINARY SURGERY. 557 
apply principally to “ classical operations ” of the nature of 
those mentioned in the beginning of my paper, although many 
of the operations performed by some of ns in our every-day 
work, such as “ neurotomy,” both “ median ” and “ plantar,” 
bitch “spaying,” “castration of the male,” to say nothing of 
the more common operations of “ firing,” etc., are entirely 
evaded by some. i\.ssuming, then, that I am right in stating 
that the “ art of surgery ” does not keep abreast with the 
“science” in general practice, you will admit that this is not 
as it should be ; that point being admitted, a remedy of the con¬ 
dition is perhaps not out of place for consideration in this 
paper. 
In reference to the first class of practitioners mentioned, 
viz,:—those entirely disinclined, and consequently unsuited for 
that particular branch of practice, nothing is to be said, as they 
have a perfect right to leave that branch for^fhose so inclined if 
they wish, to do so, but for practitioners iu; general, operating 
more or less in minor surgery, but. who hav;e .mever attempted 
the more intricate, and, perhaps, we might add, more recent 
operations, I believe, that a realization on their part that the 
principles of surgery are the same, no matter in what class the 
operation may rank, and that in the higher class operations 
simply an application of the same rules and principles is re¬ 
quired, as in more simple ones (except that perhaps more care 
and skill is required in their application) will tend strongly 
toward removing the imaginary gulf between the two classes. 
So that to prepare for a new and perhaps difficult operation 
is simply to make a careful review of the regional anatomy, 
study the steps of the operation carefully from the literature on 
it, get the details as to what instruments, etc., are required for 
the particular operation in question, and then proceed, care¬ 
fully yet boldly and confidently, knowing that you have the de¬ 
tails all in your mind and feeling that as a surgeon you are 
capable of carrying them out; and, as a rule, success will crown 
your efforts. Again, for those who do not feelj disposed to 
undergo the mental strain of performing a delicate operation 
