CASTRATION BY THE ACTUAL CAUTERY. 180 



recognised as a stout pulsating vessel in the anterior portion of the 

 cord. A needle is passed behind the artery, about 1J inches to 

 2 inches above the epididymis, and ligation performed, after which 

 the cord is divided an inch below the ligature. In exposing the 

 artery care must be taken to extend its flexuosities and to apply 

 the ligature at a point which will prevent haemorrhage after section 

 of the cord. Castration by ligation is the ideal method, but 

 its advantages have not met with the recognition they appear 

 to deserve. Even those operators who first recommended it have 

 given it up. In aseptic castration the ligature has given full 

 satisfaction. 



7. Division of the Spermatic Cord by the Cautery is one of the 

 oldest methods of castration, and even yet is frequently used in 

 horses and bulls. In practice the testicular cord, covered or 

 uncovered, is held by a fixation clam of wood or steel applied two 

 inches above the epididymis, and the cautery, heated to a bright 

 red, is used to sever the cord within three-fourths of an inch from 

 the clam. After section has been completed the cautery is directly 

 applied to the end of the testicular artery, and if necessary, to the 

 artery of the cord. Hsemostasis is then tested by slightly relaxing 

 the clam, and if bleeding occur the cautery is reapplied. The vessels 

 should be briefly and lightly touched, as prolonged or forced contact 

 of the cautery may remove the eschar. With the object of increasing 

 the thickness of the eschar, powdered resin is sometimes applied to 

 the surface of section and melted with the cautery. No doubt the 

 resin strengthens the eschar and protects the cord, but in effecting 

 hsemostasis by cautery more reliance should be placed on the con- 

 traction and inversion of the coats of the artery than on the thickness 

 of the eschar, which mainly serves to support the obstruction within 

 the lumen. Some operators sever the cord with the knife and apply 

 the cautery only to the surface of section, but a more rapid 

 hsemostasis follows section by the cautery. For this purpose the 

 wedge-headed iron, visibly red, but neither glowing nor incandescent, 

 should be held steadily — -without sawing movements — with the edge 

 applied across the cord. With, the cautery immediate haemorrhage 

 should not occur, but the cord ought not to be released until pressure 

 applied to the stump produces no oozing from the vessels. Some- 

 times, as when section of the cord exposes several arterial loops, 

 haemostasis is difficult, and repeated application of the cautery may 

 be required ; and occasionally in aged stallions, owing to the flaccid 

 condition of the vessel or other cause, the cautery fails to arrest 

 bleeding. Secondary haemorrhage is very rare, though it may occur 



