ANIMAL CASTRATION. 47 



operator, facing, as before, the inguinal region, pro- 

 ceeds to the application of the clamps. The cutane- 

 ous covering and the dartos being pushed well up- 

 wards, the clamp is placed upon the cord above the 

 epididymis, from before backwards, the assistant, 

 armed with the castrating forceps, taking both of its 

 branches between the jaws of that instrument, care- 

 fully bringing them together, and closing them as 

 tightly as possible. The instant of the pressure of 

 the clamp upon the cord is marked by very severe 

 pain, and the suffering animal is excited to powerful 

 struggling. It is important that the assistant should 

 be aware of this, and he should be forewarned to re- 

 frain from pulling on the cord, and reminded, in 

 order to avoid injury from this accident, to keep the 

 clamps and the forceps steadily in contact with the 

 inguinal canal. It is probably with a view to the 

 avoidance of this possible injury that the use of a 

 peculiarly constructed vise or forceps has been rec- 

 ommended. The forceps being in place, and tightly 

 confining the branches of the clamps, well adjusted, 

 the operator now applies the twine, and after taking 

 several turns around the grooves of che free ends of 

 the clamps, secures it carefully with a double knot. 



The operation is then repeated on the right or up- 

 permost testicle in the same manner, and with the 

 same precautions. 



UNCOVERED OPERATION. 



The four steps of this operation are the same as 

 those of the previous method, the first requiring the 



