DISEASES OF CATTLE 455 



All cases of major operative surgery require the skill and dex- 

 terity of the experienced veterinary surgeon, and no one else should 

 attempt such an operation, for unnecessary suffering must be pre- 

 vented as well as the success of the operation attained. Neverthe- 

 less, the more knowledge and understanding an owner of animals has 

 of surgical operations and manipulations, the better for all con- 

 cerned. In the first place, such an owner will appreciate more fully 

 the skill of the qualified veterinarian, and, in the second place, he 

 will be the better prepared and equipped to render assistance to his 

 suffering dumb dependents where no practitioner is accessible and 

 in cases of emergency. There are, moreover, sundry operations upon 

 cattle that the stockman should be able to perform himself. 



In the performance of any operation upon an animal of the 

 size and strength of the bull or cow, the first consideration is to se- 

 cure the animal in such a manner as to preclude the possibility of 

 its injuring either itself or those taking any part in the operation, 

 for two or more are invariably necessary. The nature and time likely 

 to be occupied by an operation must, of course, largely determine the 

 method to be adopted. 



The majority of operations with which the present chapter is 

 concerned are usually performed on the animal in a standing posi- 

 tion.* To secure the cow in this position, grasp the nose, the finger 

 and thumb being introduced into the nostrils, and press against the 

 cartilage which makes a division between them. If she has horns, 

 grasp one of them with the disengaged hand. If this is insufficient 

 the animal should be secured to a post, the side of a building or put 

 in a stanchion. A very excellent method of restraint is to tie a long 

 rope in a slip noose over the horns, pass it around the chest just be- 

 hind the fore legs, taking a half hitch on itself, taking another half 

 hitch in front of the hind limbs, passing the free end under the tail, 

 bringing it forward and making it fast either to the head or one of the 

 hitches. The head should be raised to the level of the back before 

 the final knot is tied, so as to render it too serious and painful a mat- 

 ter for her to repeat the first attempt she makes to lower it. Should 

 the nature or extent of the operation be likely to take up a consid- 

 erable length of time, it is invariably the best plan to throw the ani- 

 mal. In the case of the ox this is very easily done, either by use of 

 horse hobbles, should they be at hand, or by the application of a sim- 

 ple rope. If the horse hobbles are used, they should be fastened on 

 the leg just above the fetlocks (ankle joints), as they are in that 

 position less liable to come off than if placed around me pastern. 



Of the many ways of applying the rope for this purpose we will 

 describe two only, which we consider the best and simplest: 



First. Take a long, strong rope (one which has been used a few 

 times is more flexible) , double it, and at 2 or 3 feet from the dou- 

 bled end, according to the size of the animal, make a knot and pass 

 the collar thus formed over the animal's head, allowing it to rest 

 on what would be the collar place in a horse. Now pass the ends of 



*A bull should always be held by a staff attached to the ring in his nose. 



