MEDIAN NEURECTOMY. 
13 
differ it is here. Sometimes it is on top and in plain view as soon 
as the lips of wound are retracted, again in front of vein, again 
behind it, and still again beneath it, and on one or two oc¬ 
casions it was beneath the artery, though this latter situation is 
very rare, but one thing is absolutely certain and that is, if you 
have made your incision as directed and you do not see the 
nerve at first, it is only a matter of looking deeper down in the 
space between the posterior face of radius and anterior face of 
internal flexor metacarpus, as it is always here unless some one 
else has removed it. Now, having isolated it, pass the aneurism 
hook underneath and allow the free ends of hook to rest on the 
skin at each side of wound. This will hold the nerve up and 
allow the severing of it by scissors or any of the neurotomy 
knives, then pick up distal end of nerve and cut off about an 
inch. This completes the operation for me, as I do not stitch the 
lips of the wound nor attempt to apply a dressing to the part. 
The animal is now allowed to rise and, trotted, and if a fit sub¬ 
ject for the operation the result is nothing less than marvelous. 
Having described the operation perhaps too much in detail, 
although I think not, for by so doing I have tried to warn you 
so that you may not experience the annoying parts which I have 
been through, we will now consider the diseases giving rise 
to lameness which can be permanently or partially relieved. 
As the median nerve supplies the inside of forearm and leg, and 
as we have excised a part of it at the superior extremity of the 
radius, sensation must have been destroyed or greatly lessened 
in all that part below the section, and here we find knee, shin, 
fetlock, pastern, coronet, foot and tendons. 
I have operated upon a number with great success where 
there were speedy cuts which had caused a bony growth, but 
where anchylosis exists of the entire carpus it will avail nothing. 
Splints of all sizes, situations and extent with more than grati¬ 
fying results. One case in particular, where the splint extended 
from inside to outside, and had been fired three times and blis¬ 
tered as many more, and still lame if worked. This animal was 
operated on July 5, 1897, and on August 5, 1897, put to work go- 
