DISEASES OP THE SCROTUM. G69 



at once rendered aseptic. Castration is often necessary, and in 

 such case the scrotum should be freely divided to give free exit to 

 discharge, and the usual principles are followed. Superficial 

 injuries are treated like similar wounds in other parts. 



(b) Inflammation of the scrotum occurs in northern countries, 

 from travelling bulls in snow-drifts. On reaching the stable the 

 skin of the scrotum becomes red and swollen, and the folds disappear. 

 Exudation soon sets in, and superficial necrosis of the skin may take 

 place. 



Though the course of the disease is almost always unfavourable, 

 yet at times a troublesome eczema remains, which bids defiance 

 to treatment, especially when the discharge is profuse. When 

 large areas of the scrotal skin have sloughed, cicatrisation occurs 

 with difficulty. 



In dogs an acute eczema sometimes extends over the entire 

 scrotum, and is characterised by swelling, reddening of the skin, 

 exudation, pain or itchiness, causing the animals continually to 

 lick the parts, and thus interfere with treatment and healing. The 

 swelling sometimes causes a peculiar straddling gait. 



Treatment of frost-bite of the scrotum consists in bathing the 

 parts with disinfectants and applying dry dressings. Wheat flour, 

 tannic acid, and tannic acid with iodoform are all useful. In eczema 

 the dressing may consist of tannin and iodoform, followed by an 

 application of aloes and tar which will prevent the animal licking 

 the diseased spot. When exudation is not excessive, the parts may 

 with advantage be brushed over with iodoform collodion ; cocaine 

 might also be tried. 



(c) New growths are not infrequent in the skin of the scrotum. 

 Rosenbaum found a swelling on the scrotum of a steer, and Eberhardt 

 describes a tumour nearly 16 inches in length in an eighteen months 

 bull. The nature of these new growths cannot, however, be ascer- 

 tained from the description given. Frohner cured a case of 

 botryomycosis of the scrotum in a horse by operation. Varicose 

 conditions of the scrotum in dogs (diffuse dilatation of the veins) 

 have been described, attended with ulceration, profuse bleeding, 

 and a tendency to recur. 



In dogs, a pendulous condition of the scrotum with failure to retract 

 the testicles when the scrotum is grasped is a grave symptom seen 

 near the termination of severe internal diseases, and may sometimes 

 be observed in aged animals. 



The treatment is almost self-evident. New growths, unless 

 possessing too broad a base and extending to the tunica vaginalis, 



