182 THK IMPROVED ART OF FARRIERY. 



torture. As soon as the operation is performed let the 

 animal be walked about for an hour or so, this will 

 prevent local congestion, than which nothing can be 

 so hurtful. 



Castration by Ligature is to tie the testicle and 

 scotum tightly compressed between two pieces of wood, 

 when mortification soon ensues, and they drop off, or 

 otherwise to tie a thin cord tightly round the bag, near 

 the belly, this process stops the circulation of the blood, 

 and the testicle and bag drop off in the course of a few 

 days — ^both these methods are dangerous and sadly 

 cruel towards the horse, they prolong the pain, and 

 frequently cause inflammation and death. 



Castration by Excision is performed after the n/an- 

 ner of operation on a human being, but so many emi- 

 nent veterinary practitioners have lost horses by it that 

 they seldom make a practice of adopting this method, 

 although a few still adhere to it as producing less pain, 

 and the animal is sooner brought round again than by 

 any other process. In Prussia the method is very 

 general. 



When the operation has been carefully performed, 

 morbid consequences seldom occur. Exercise is re- 

 quired to prevent swelling of the parts. Good green 

 food, cool air, and early evacuations, will soon restore 

 the animal to condition ; when any inflammation fol- 

 lows, bleeding and fomentation will be found necessaiy, 

 then rub a little digestive ointment over the scotum 

 and sheath. 



It cannot be doubted that the best operators in this 

 case are always the common country farriers, who from 

 devoting themselves entirely to the occupation soon 

 become proficients. " Practice makes perfect," is a 

 very common saying, and certainly the manual dexterit)' 

 exhibited by these men would astonish at times the 



