572 DISEASKS OF THE ORGANS OF GENERATION. 



Mr. Thomson, V.S., Beith^ in a letter to Mr. Dick, pub- 

 lished in 'The Veterinarian' for 1835, writes — '^I have 

 made many experiments as to the use of the ligature in the 

 castration of colts and horses, and the removal of this 

 ligature on the second or third day. However humane the 

 plan may appear, there are serious objections to it. Suppu- 

 ration, in the generality of cases, does not commence until 

 the fifth day — rarely sooner, sometimes later. Inflammation 

 of the scrotal portion of the peritoneum must extend more 

 or less during that period, and its progress is not arrested 

 until suppuration commences." " I have cut about ten 

 colts j some did remarkably well, in others the swelling was 

 very great before suppuration commenced. In one that 

 died it was uncommonly extensive. Suppuration did not com- 

 mence until the sixth day. The animal got better at the 

 time the swelling subsided, but he died two months after- 

 wards/' " I will geld no more upon this principle (ligature) 

 unless particularly requested to do so.'' 



Castration by Torsion^ remains to be considered : not 

 in the barbarous manner in which, years ago, it used to be 

 performed in this country and France, but in accordance 

 with the new lights shed on the subject of torsion by Messrs. 

 Amussat and Costello. It is known, well enough, that in 

 young animals — even in the colt — the testicles may be torn 

 out of the scrotum after being denuded, or may be detached 

 by twisting round the cord until it breaks, and yet no 

 dangerous hemorrhage ensue. As has been stated, Pro- 

 fessor Coleman once saw the stones of an aged stallion torn 

 out : one testicle was extracted without much hemorrhage, 

 and, after the lapse of a few days, the other : had both been 

 torn out at one operation the animal might — and would most 

 probably — have bled to death. The operation of twisting 



' I believe "twisting" the vessels, or "torsion," as it is called, is almost 

 abandoned. It will answer now and then, in vessels that stand out, detached 

 from the neighl)ouring tissues, such as the facial ; but we cannot take hold of the 

 majority of vessels, and it is not safe to trust to torsion in the larger ones. 

 You had better put ligatures about them. (Liston's Lectures, in the ' Lancet,' 

 June 1, 1844.) 



