, artery, and nerve. This
should be picked up with the forceps, and a further incision made with the
bistoury. Care should be exercised in making this second incision, or the
artery may accidentally be opened. If an ordinary scalpel is used, the
lower end of the sheath should be picked up and the point of the scalpel
inserted through it. With the cutting edge of the scalpel turned towards
the opening of the wound, the sheath is then slit from below upwards. The
second incision satisfactorily made, the wound is again wiped dry, and the
nerve seen as a piece of white, curled string in the posterior portion of
the wound.

At this stage it is advisable to accurately ascertain whether what we have
taken to be the nerve actually is it. This is done by taking it up with the
forceps and giving it a sharp tweeze. A sudden struggle on the part of the
patient will then leave no doubt in the operator's mind that it is the
nerve he has interfered with.

_Section of the Nerve_.--The neurectomy needle (Fig. 60) is now taken, and,
excluding the other structures, passed under the nerve. A piece of stout
silk or ordinary string is then threaded through the eye of the needle, the
needle withdrawn, and the silk left in position under the nerve. The silk
is now tied in a loop, and the nerve by this means gently lifted from its
bed. With the curved scissors or the scalpel it is severed as high up as is
possible. The lower end of the severed nerve is then grasped firmly with
the forceps, pulled downwards as far as possible, and then cut off. At
least an inch of the nerve should be excised.

The animal is then turned over, and the opposite side of the limb operated
on in the same manner.

The tourniquet is now removed, and the wound is examined for bleeding
vessels. If the haemorrhage is only slight, the wound should be merely
dabbed gently with the antiseptic wool until it has stayed. A larger vessel
may be taken up with the artery forceps and ligatured, or the haemorrhage
stopped by torsion. On no account, unless it it done to stay haemorrhage
that is otherwise uncontrollable, should the wound be sutured with blood in
it. With the wound once dry and clean, it is well to insert three or four
silk sutures, but care must be taken not to draw them too tightly. This
done, the patient may be allowed to get up. _After-treatment_.--This is
simple. Over each wound is placed a pledget of antiseptic cotton-wool or
tow, and the whole lightly covered