80 ANIMAL CASTRATION. 



Hemorrhage may also occur immediately after the 

 operation, either while the patient is still on the 

 ground or as soon as he regains his feet. This may 

 be due either to the solution of continuity at the 

 edges of the wound of the envelopes, or may proceed 

 from the small testicular or the spermatic artery. 

 The first two causes of hemorrhage need not engage 

 our attention, usually ceasing spontaneously, and 

 never being attended with serious inconvenience. 

 It is not so, however, in the case of hemorrhage pro- 

 ceeding from the spermatic blood vessel proper, oc- 

 curring after those methods of operating which dis- 

 pense with the closing of the artery by artificial 

 appliances, as is done with the clamp or the ligature, 

 or which may be observed in castration by torsion, 

 cauterization, the use of the ecraseur, or especially 

 by the process of simple excision. Though not nec- 

 essarily fatal, the hemorrhage in these instances may 

 require prompt and effectual interference by the sur- 

 geon for its suppression. 



It is not rare for castrated animals to become more 

 or less tympanitic, a condition which may be due, 

 more or less, to the introduction of atmospheric air 

 into the abdominal cavity during the performance of 

 the operation. This condition of things is usually 

 remedied by the unaided action of natural causes. 



The secondary effects also vary according to the 

 manipulations of the method which they follow. 

 The development of reactive fever is an event which 

 in many cases requires close watching, and while it is 

 true that many castrated horses will manifest no sub- 



