556 DISEASES OF THE ORGANS OF GENERATION. 



operated on foals at all ages, from ten days to four months 

 old, and am convinced of tliat being the most eligible 

 period/^ — '' Colts grow larger than when castrated later/^ 

 — " Colts are foaled with their testicles within the scrotum, 

 wherein they remain, in ordinary cases, until the fifth or 

 sixth month, at which period they are taken up between the 

 internal and external abdominal rings, and continue concealed 

 until the eleventh, twelfth, or thirteenth month, all depending 

 upon the degree of keep ; since in some, which are particularly 

 well fed, the testicles can at all times be found within the 

 scrotum/^ This does not quite accord with the account 

 D^Arboval gives : he tells us — '^ the horse cannot be cas- 

 trated prior to the fourth or fifth month of his age, the 

 testicles not appearing until then within the scrotum/^ I 

 am, not, myself, in a situation to resolve these apparently 

 discrepant statements : extensive opportunities of observa- 

 tion in large breeding establishments can alone set us right 

 in this — as it would appear as yet, not very much to our 

 credit — simple though unascertained fact. •• In respect to the 

 age of puberty in horses, we in general do not notice any 

 manifestation of venereal desires prior to the second year. 

 About this period these seem to become engendered : un- 

 less, therefore, it be intended that the colt should experi- 

 ence the effects of this change, I see no good reason for 

 not operating at the earliest possible age : on the other 

 hand, should there be a desire that the growing animal 

 partake, either in his bodily frame, constitution, or temper, 

 of the nature of the stallion, then, protraction of the 

 operation beyond the period of puberty, or period when 

 he first begins to notice mares, will become desirable to 

 attain the object in view. I cannot myself discover any 

 advantage or use in pursuing a middle course : it appears to 

 me all nonsense to say this or that age is to be preferred, 

 without having reference either to the operation itself, or to 

 the influence of the testicles on the animaVs growth and 

 economy. D'Arboval says that the horse will bear the 

 operation so late as his twentieth year. 



The METHODS OF CASTRATION practised at the present 



