The Washington times., 1907-02-15
SURGERY TO SAVE HORSES
NEW OPERATING TABLE SOLVES
MANY OF ITS DIFFICULTIES.
Easy to Administer Chloroform Now.
By Means of Levers Horse Can Now
Be Lifted Up and Placed in Any Po-
sition With Less Risk to Surgeons.


mary surgery the modern methods also
show a remarkable Improvement over
old time methods. It is due largely 10
American inventiveness that all surgical
operations upon horses have been rem
dered not only much more humane than
ever before, but that the proportion of
successful operations should have been
immensely increased. The success of
such operations is largely due to the use
Of an operating table for horses. which
is rapidly coming into general use.
The contrlvance used for holding
horses during operations today is
marvel of ingenuity. 1t is called an
operating table. 1t might, perhaps, with
justice be called a vice. The difficulties
of such operations are of course OBJ
ViOus- That a horse is vain thing for
safety is, OF course, trulSm. Tie new
cOntrivance makes II possible TO place
horse IN any position with the great
est ease, at the same time holding him
with a vicelilte rigidity. Not the least
important feature Of this device is the
saving Of pain 10 the horses. Whereas
the old methods were unaVOidably bru-
tai and dangerous. the operations today.
with the aid Of the operating tables. are
much less dangerous
When the horses are valuable. Il is, OF
course, OF the most Importance that they
should be treated with the least possi-
been badly injured even killed by the
Old-fGShioned methods Of operating
The new tables make il impossible for 4
horse 10 struggle and injure itself II
Will, OF course, be readily understood
how difficult is the work Of tying down
a spirited horse.
The most common. in fact. the almost
universal. method of securing the horse.
was by casting. This consisted in fast
ening the animals four legs together
with hobbies and then throwing him on
heap Of straw. To this method there
are many serious objections. Many
cases Of broken back have occurred
through the violent struggles of the ami
NAL, the backbone sometimes being lit
orally crushed by the sudden contraction
OF the great muscles Of the back. and
frequently spinal curvature has been
caused in the same way. Occasionally
the neck has been broken OF the skull
fractured in the process Of casting.
sui another source of great danger
lies In the clouds Of dust laden with
microbes which arise from the bean of
straw when the horse is thrown, and
renders 1t impossible To perform an
operation under aseptiC conditions 9th
er QlIncultlcS frequently arise and the
risks are such that most veterinarians
before casting the horse consider II their
risk about to be run
The minor operations have indeed fire.
Quentiy been attempted without cast
ing or chiocofcrming the horse. Such
10 the operator and his patient The
risk Of being seriously kicked is very
great. While the haste with which the
surgeon has to work IS fatal 70 the sue
operation.
A number Of operating tables for
horses nave been invented from time to
zine by veterinarians in European coun-
tries, but fer various reasons thew nave
not worked particularly we'll An Amer
!Gan invention has successfully solved
ne pIoolem OF operating on the horse.
ana Jhls opens new epoch in the his
tory OF veterinary surgery
Inc operating table is a massive iron
frame OF the size and shape to contain
morse standing and revolves around a
cen traI horizontal axis. This revolving
part. which weighs about zoo mounds iS
supported upon two strong iron stand
a ,I5Si. firmly ty bolted to the floor. The
main body Of The machine consists %
Two powerful end pieces connected a.
the TOP by a stout rolled girder These
are connected at the bottom and sides
by strong IRON rods. those at the sides
10 enter. ms ''iS iio- Sc
The end piece at the front is paddad
10 receive the horses head and carriae
attachments for the collar roDes SrI,o
uICh emu piece carries crank arms gear
MhetiS' and Spindles. by which the foot
alc BACK chains can be drawn fiobt
me Whotc machine is revOlved Inv
means OF a lever and so exactly hat
Snced that it is possible to rotate a
hSSEy morse with one hand
Nhen the operating table is 70 Ia
uSeu me morse IS first provided with n
SuUHB he1u collar carrying two stot1t
cords, ana the. "bedDieCe. \ kind az
DrOdd canvas belt. is STRAINED tfgbtI,.
around The body like n blanket Tho
SlE,lInSI Is then led into the frame tho
Use par dropped in place to keen hin,
IN and his head is secured by the col
lar lines. His feet are then separately
StCuIeu %: leather hobbies to = very
UEAEN &c .#a
on the back end-piece. by which fhev
movement '
The top Of the "bedpiece' is noyy
hooked 10 n hanging 'compeusarion
bar so arranged that the attached
CudHlS give perfectly vertical mil
20 both ends of the ''bedpiece." which
hdaptS itself exactly TO the horses form
a Kind OF double cushion is fixed to the
side OF the bar which is to be under
neaJh when the table is revolved This
Is atLached 10 the top Of the girder by
Everything is now ready for the opera
uon. by turning a winch the horse is
raised until his feet begin IN Leave az
ground. aud then the whole apparatus
Is revolved. 9nd the horse is placed in
horizontal position without any shock
or pain whatever. He cannot struggle
10 any extent. and usually he does NOT
trv.
The table is so arranged that II re-
wolves both ways and can be fixed AZ
any angie. InuS the horse can be
placed on either side or on his back.
though this last position is rarely need
ed. Every part OF the animal is Access
sible to the surgeon, who is thus enabled
to operate under the most faVOra ole
conditions. The ease with which chloro-
form can be administered to an animal
on this table has dissipated the objec-
tons TO its use in veterinary practice
All lovers Of animals who desire TO see
their sufferings mitigated will look upon
this invention with much favor.
10 Is common TO treat tho horse with
some opiate before placing it in or on
the table 10 guard against its strug-
Cling The horse is led to the side of the
table, one side OF which has been re-
moved. II is q very simple matter to
back the horse into the cOntrivance,
which is similar 10 putting him into the
shafts Of an ordinary wagon.
once IN position the side bar is quick
" adjusted and the horse made pris-
oner. A stout band OF canvas is passed
under the horse and its legs and feet
fastened The feet are secured by
chains which hold them in a perfectly
natural position. 50 that the horse
makes no resistance. II is but the work
or Few seconds and the straps and
bands are secure. At a signal an at
tendant turns small wheel TO one side
end the horse is instantly swung off its
feet but in such q position that il can
make no resistance From fbt- tive on