Technic. Expert surgeons may operate on the standing
animal under local anaesthesia. Place the animal on the
operating table on the diseased side, extend the affected
limb and draw the upper leg forward and secure it out of
the way. Produce complete anaesthesia. ‘The posterior
tibial or sciatic nerve x, Plate XXX and NS, Plate XX XI,
is then sought by grasping the leg with the left hand from
behind in such a manner that the thumb rests above and
the fingertips below it. Reaching forward with the fingers
to the deep flexor of the foot grasp the leg with moderate
firmness and draw the hand slowly backward. Immediate-
ly behind the perforans muscle and between this and the
tendo-Achilles the nerve, nearly 1 cm. in diameter, glides
away forward from between the fingers with a distinct re-
coil. If the nerve can not be found in this manner the
hock should be stongly extended, by which means it is
caused to recede from the perforans muscle, so that it can
more readily be felt near the middle of the groove extend-
ing between it and the tendo-Achilles. At this point the
skin is shaved, disinfected and an incision made through it
5 cm. long, parallel to the tendo-Achilles. The white
rigidly-stretched crural fascia is now divided in the same
direction after which it should be determined by palpation
that the nerve lies in the middle of the wound. Excise
with the scissors an elliptic or oval piece of the fascia or
hold it apart along with the lips of the cutaneous wound
by means of the tenacula, In poor horses the contour of
the nerve, covered only by loose connective tissue, stands


PLATE XXX.
Sciatic NEUROTOMY.
Right hind leg viewed from the median side.
