AMPUTATION OF THE PENIS. 571 



which gives to this part of the urethra its name, and this erectile 

 tissue terminates anteriorly in an enlargement, more or less 

 developed, forming the head of the penis, or the glans penis. 

 The urethra proper protrudes a little below the center of the 

 head of the penis, and shows in a cavity undei-neath, the lurethral 

 fossa, more or less filled with a sebaceous secretion. The blood 

 vessels which ramify in these erectile structures are the two dor- 

 sal arteries of the penis, anterior and posterior, and the veins, 

 which form large branches, running also upon the dorsal border 

 of the organ. 



Zundel very wisely insists upon two principal conditions (to 

 which we shall again refer) to reahze in the operation, ^Vs^ to 

 manage to leave a free means of exit for the luine, by cutting 

 away less of the urethra than that of the cavernous body, and 

 seco7id, to avoid the hemorrhage, which is especially liable to take 

 place in horses, on account of the abundant circulation in the 

 erectile tissues. 



The animal if to be placed in the recumbent position, as in the 

 operation for castration, that is, on the left side ; or it may prove 

 advantageous to place him on his back. 



Five modes of operation are described by different writers on 

 the subject — 1st, the ligature; 2d, cauterization; 3d, excision; 

 4th, by scraping; and 5th, by crushing. 



As an adjunct to the various instruments which these different 

 operations may require, metalHc catheters are also necessary. 



The Ligature. — The catheter being introduced into the urethra, 

 beyond the point where the amputation is to be made, a strong 

 ligature is apjDhed at that point and tightened sufficiently, if j)os- 

 sible, to strangulate the portion of the penis which is to be 

 removed. After from twenty-four to forty-eight hours, the 

 external layers of the tissues will have become mortified, even to 

 a certain depth in the penis, and a new ligature is then appHed, 

 and strongly tied like the first one. The deeper layers of the 

 penis are also, after a day or two longer, so mortified that they 

 continue attached to the tissues above the ligature only by a 

 small jiarticle, which can be divided with the knife. The catheter 

 may then be removed or it may be allowed to remaia in place a 

 few days longer. No special subsequent treatment is required. 

 If, after a few days, micturation seems to become difficult, the 

 urethral opening may be enlarged by the introduction of a bougie 



