Animal Casteation 25 



an antiseptic solution between operations. The cleaner you are 

 with your work the fewer cases of sepsis you will have to follow. 



Operative Tccliniqiie — After the animal is cast and tied and the 

 instruments and hands of the operator prepared, the field of opera- 

 tion and the surrounding parts should be thoroughly washed with 

 Lysol or Cresol Compound U. S. P. in the strength of one table- 

 spoonful to each quart of water. I will here take advantage of this 

 opportunity to condemn in the strongest and most emphatic terms 

 possible ''sheath washing" at time of castrating. What is here 

 meant by "sheath washing" is washing or undertaking in any 

 manner to cleanse the interior of the sheath. Washing the sheath 

 at or immediately before castration will not only contaminate the 

 field of operation and thereby increase the danger of sepsis, but it 

 invariably encourages the early development of aggravated cases 

 of oedema and oftentimes paraphimosis. The sheath should be 

 washed several days before operating or it should be let alone until 

 after the animal has completely recovered. With the animal, 



Fig. 14 — General External View of Scrotum and Sheath. AA, Incisions %-inch 

 on each side of Median Line, 4 inches long and parallel to the line. 



