a7 THE HORSE. 
the other hand, the inguinal canal communicates with that cavity, and if the 
ligature is used, there is a double danger of inflammation—first, from effused 
blood, and secondly, from the irritation of the ends of the ligature. This 
plan, therefore, is now generally abandoned, though some few practitioners 
still adhere to it, and the choice rests between two methods of removal 
by cautery, namely, the actual and potential,—the former giving more 
pain at the moment when the heated iron is apphed, but the latter being 
really far more severe, as the caustic is a long time in effecting a complete 
death of the nerve and other sensitive parts. ‘Torsion of the vessels has 
been also tried, but it is often followed by hemorrhage, and, moreover, 
the pain which is caused during the twisting of the artery is apparently 
quite as great as is given by the heated iron. We are all inclined to 
fancy that fire occasions more agony than it really does, but those who 
have in their own persons been unfortunately able to compare the effects 
of the two kinds of cautery, have uniformly admitted that the actual is 
less severe than the potential, if the two are used so as to produce the same 
amount of cauterization. 
JHE BEST PERIOD FOR PERFORMING THE OPERATION on the foal is just 
before weaning, provided the weather is mild. If, however, his neck is 
very light, and the withers low, its postponement till the following spring 
will give a better chance for the development of these parts. The cold 
of winter and heat of summer are both prejudicial, and the months of 
April, May, September, or October should always be selected. 
No PREPARATION IS REQUIRED in the “sucker,” but after weaning 
the system always requires cooling by a dose of physic and light food 
before castration can safely be performed. Horses which have been in 
training, or other kind of work attended with high feeding, require at 
least three weeks’ or a month’s rest and lowering, by removing corn, 
mashing, &c., together with a couple of doses of physic, before they are 
fit to be castrated. 
For THE ORDINARY METHOD OF OPERATING, a pair of clams should be 
provided, lined at the surfaces where the compression is made, with thick 
layers of vulcanized india-rubber. This material gives a very firm hold 
without bruising the cord, and causing thereby inflammation. A large 
scalpel and a couple of irons will complete the list of instruments, over 
and above the apparatus necessary for casting the horse (see Casting, 
page 572). The horse being properly secured according to the directions 
there given, and a twitch being put on the lip in case he should struggle 
Fic. 11.—CLaMs LINE? WITH VULCANIZED INDIA-RUBBER, 
much, the operator, kneeling on the left side, grasps the testicle so as to 
make the skin of the scrotum covering it quite tense. A longitudinal 
incision, about three inches long, is then made down to the testicle, which, 
if care has been taken that there is no rupture, may be rapidly done—a 
wound of its surface not being of the slightest consequence, and giving 
far less pain than the slow niggling dissection of its coverings, which is 
