Animal Castration 35 



serve of physical strength and activity. He shonld retain his 

 equilibrium in spite of any untoward accident or emergency which 

 may chance to take place. Good judgment is never amiss at any 

 stage of the operation. The author has never been kicked or in- 

 jured in any way while castrating stallions in the standing pos- 

 ture. He cannot say as much in relating his experience operating 

 in the recumbent posture, for many is the time when he has re- 

 ceived the kick while applying the hobble straps and a few while 

 releasing the animal. (2) Difficulty of securing the testicles has 

 been urged against the standing operation. Such embarrassment 

 is never encountered if the testicle has descended into the scrotum 

 and the mere fact of the testicle not being in the scrotum is a 

 counter-indication to operating in the standing posture. By all 

 means and at all hazards cast this class of animals and castrate 

 them in the recumbent posture. (3) Prolapse of bowel or mesen- 

 tery from the scrotal incision on account of previously existing 

 scrotal or inguinal hernia. A careful manual examination of the 

 scrotal region prior to operating would obviate such embarrass- 

 ment to the operator and danger to the patient. If you decide 

 to operate in the standing posture make it routine practice to 

 examine the scrotum prior to operation. (4) Impossibility of 

 operating upon many wild and vicious animals. We must admit 

 that every animal cannot be castrated in the standing posture, and 

 foolish indeed would the surgeon be who would undertake such 

 a hazardous and impossible task. If you encounter such an animal, 

 have no hesitancy in casting and operating in the recumbent pos- 

 ture. Do not attempt the dangerous, the impracticable or the 

 impossible. Exercise a little good judgment here as well as else- 

 where in the dailv affairs of life. 



