96 SPECIAL VETERINARY THERAPY 



than this one and yet it is one with which some veter- 

 inarians, because of their faulty technic, have experi- 

 enced not a little difficulty. To throw the animal, hold 

 him on his side and attempt to castrate him, as is done 

 in ordinary castration is to bring on such forcible ex- 

 trustion of the intestines that castration cannot be 

 accomplished successfully, but if the pig be held up by 

 his hind legs with his back to the holder and with his 

 forefeet just touching the ground and possibly his 

 neck between the ankles of the man holding him the 

 intestines will return to the abdominal cavity of their 

 own accord, or with slight manipulation and while 

 held in this position castration is an exceedingly sim- 

 ple operation. Observe the usual aseptic precau- 

 tions advisable in all minor surgery. If the inguinal 

 aperture in the abdominal wall is very large it may be 

 necessary to hold the testicle through the scrotum to 

 prevent its return into the abdominal cavity along 

 with the intestines. Should the testicle return to the 

 abdominal cavity, lower the animal until the testicle 

 again returns to the scrotum. 



Holding the testicle between the thumb and fing- 

 ers as for ordinary castration cut through the skin and 

 •dartos as for the covered operation. Strip the cellular 

 tissue from the tunica vaginalis as close up to the in- 

 ternal inguinal ring as it is possible to get. Then place 

 a ligature very tightly around the tunica vaginalis or 

 sac including the cord, vas deferens, the arteries, veins 

 and nerves, first making certain no portion of the in- 

 testine is included in the ligature and that it is close 

 enough to the internal inguinal ring to prevent subse- 



