A NEW OPERATION FOR SPAVIN.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume IX, Issue 1017, 29 December 1881, Page 3

A NEW OPERATION FOR SPAVIN.

A new operation in veterinary surgery for bone spavin has been introduced by Mr William Hunting, F.8.C.V.5., of Down street, Piccadilly. The old treatment, such as firing, sefoning, and punching are superseded by a method as efficacious as either of these, and more rapid in its good result than by any process hitherto practised. It does not entail the large blemish unavoidable when the hot iron is used and the treatment usually ends in a cure in about three weeks, instead of about three months—an important saving of time in the period of enforced rest of the animals treated. The new operation was first suggested by Professor Lafosse, of the Toulose Veterinary School; but Mr blunting was the first to perform it in this country, and he is making a speciality of it as a veterinary practitioner. The treatment Mr Hunting says, he does not wish to keep a secret. It consists of a section of the internal division of the tendon of the flexor metatarsi muscle. This tendon passes directly over the bones of the hock implicated in bone spavin, and and must therefore directly compress the diseased parts every time the joint is fixed. It is this depression which causes prolonged lameness. If the ossific deposit were not interfered with by the tendon nature would soon consolidate it, and lameness would cease It is the same case with “ splints so long as they are not interfered with by the tendons and ligaments, lameness does not ensue, or is of short duration. But when splints are interfered with by passing tedons they render the horse lame and unsound. To show his confidence in the system he has adopted for curing bone spavin he is willing to make no charge for any operation performed by him which is not followed by satisfactory results within a period of five weeks at the most. Lameness, in one case treated by him, ceased in five days, and Lafoose states that “ sometimes the lameness disappears twenty-four or fortyeight hours after the operation.” The following advantages are claimed for the operation over any other course of treatment: —l. It is more quickly performed ; 2. It causes less pain ; 3. Its results are more certain ; 4. It requires about one fourth the usual loss of time, 5. It leaves hardly any blemish; 6. Its effects are lasting. If all claimed for it be true, and we have no reason to doubt its efficacy, we have a discovery in veterinary science invaluable to horse owners. Mr Hunting is so satisfied of its results that he offers to treat cases on the “no cure no pay ” system, as he states in his circulars.

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