CONSEQUENCES OF CASTRATION. 651 



by tliis method. Mr. Percivall, quoting from D'Arboval, 

 recommends the ligature, and when the scirrhus has extended 

 along the cord too high up to be included in the ligature — a 

 fact, he says, " that may be ascertained by manual examination, 

 per rectum, and that the cord itself is indurated, and increases 

 in volume upwards, and has contracted adhesions with the 

 surrounding parts, and is likely to degenerate into a cancerous 

 mass, reaching from the scrotum to the loins, other means 

 must be sought. One resource is left us, that of piercing or 

 boring the cord with a red-hot iron of sufficient length, and 

 straight, and about the diameter of the finger. The scirrhous 

 cord is to be drawn forth to the extent that it will bear by an 

 assistant, w^ho at the same time diverges the lips of the wound, 

 while the operator plunges the cautery into the scirrhus, and 

 thrusts it longitudinally through it ; he may likewise cauterise 

 its sides both within and without the scrotum ; the object being 

 to induce a suppurative process which may consume it." With 

 every due deference to Mr. Percivall, and to the authorities 

 from whom he quotes, I think this a very barbarous method, 

 irrational in principle, and cruel in application; I look upon 

 the growth of the fungus to be due to — except in the instances 

 above mentioned, and which may be set down as incurable by 

 any external application or operation — the irritation of the 

 dividend extremity of the cord being kept up by its adhesion to 

 the wound in the scrotum. When the source of irritation no ^ 

 longer continues, and its removal is effected by excision of the 

 tumour, the inflammation of the cord, and all accompanying 

 symptoms will gradually subside. In fact, the continuance and 

 growth of the tumour depend upon a cause analogous to that 

 wliich produces proud-flesh in a wound, namely, irritation. 



CHRONIC SUPPURATION, OR FISTULA OF THE SCROTUM. 



I have frequently met with cases of a chronic induration of 

 the cord, seemingly arising from the same cause as champignon, 

 namely, adhesion to the scrotal wounds, in geldings of various 

 ages. In such, the cord is hard, and enlarged within the scrotum, 

 and from time to time suppuration occurs within its substance ; 

 abscesses form and discharge an unhealthy purulent matter. 

 The formation of these abscesses occurs periodically, and may 



