222 OPERATIVE TECHNIQUE. 



but this appears bad surgery, and he has since discarded the 

 apphcation as unnecessary. It may, however, be utihsed in case of 

 need. The owner can readily remove the tow at a later period. 

 Moller and many others recommend this method for castrating 

 stallions, and during the past few years it has made numerous 

 converts in Germany. 



(d) Castration with the Ecraseur. — In America and England 

 the ecraseur has been much used for castrating stallions. After exposing 

 the testicle and spermatic cord the chain or wire of the ecraseur is 

 passed over the testicle and slowly drawn tight, dividing the cord just 

 above the epididymis. The method has found acceptance at the hands 

 of many practical men, though it seems to possess no particular 

 advantage over carefully performed torsion. 



(e) Ligation of the Spermatic Cord cannot be recommended for 

 horses. Its disadvantage consists in the fact that the ligature n^aterial 

 remains in the wound, keeping up chronic inflammation, and frequently 

 leading to the formation of scirrhous cord. The use of catgut does, 

 not overcome this drawback because catgut is not absorbed from the 

 stump of the spermatic cord, as from an aseptic granulation surface; 

 experiment has shown that absorption requires at least one or two 

 weeks. Moreover ligation of the spermatic cord is not so easy as 

 might be imagined. Even when the ligature seems quite tight it is 

 apt to work loose, on account of the action of the elastic tissues of the 

 cord on the knots. Serious bleeding may thus be produced. Should 

 the operator decide on ligaturing the cord, however, two methods are 

 open to him. In the first the middle of the spermatic cord is 

 transfixed by means of the finger, and the anterior and posterior 

 portions are ligatured separately, care being taken that the anterior 

 ligature is drawn particularly tight. In the second the entire cord 

 is included in one ligature of sterilised catgut or silk. Some operators 

 leave one end of the ligature sufficiently long to protrude beyond 

 the wound, so that in a week after castration it may be removed, but 

 this is unnecessary if antisepsis be observed. Again, the elastic liga- 

 ture can be selected. Moller prefers catgut, because the elastic liga- 

 ture acts slowly, and must therefore remain a considerable time in 

 position. The most surgical method is ligation of the spermatic 

 artery in continuity, and when carefully performed with aseptic 

 precautions is quite safe. 



Finally, it should be said that in castration less depends on the 

 method than on the way it is practised. As the method most 

 commonly used is usually best carried out, it results that many prac- 

 titioners after a short trial of a new method, return to their older 



