CASTRATION. 593 



Gangrene may he the consequence of excessive tumefac- 

 tion of the sheath, or of scirrhus of the cord, or may super- 

 vene upon peritonitis. 



Tetanus may ensue either before or after the period of 

 suppuration ; arising, on occasions, it would appear probable, 

 from the compression upon the nerve being insufficient to 

 annihilate sensation. Certain irritable horses are most 

 liable to this unfortunate sequel, and it has been observed 

 to occur oftener in summer than in winter : peritonitis being 

 the most common in winter. In both cases, however, the 

 causes may be the same. " Tetanus may result from a cur- 

 rent of cold air interrupting the suppurative process, and 

 occasioning metastasis. One obvious indication of cure will 

 be to re-establish suppuration. 



Hurtrel d^Arboval informs us, that at a remount depot 

 for cavalry, established at Bee [Department de VEnre) 24 

 horses were castrated in the same day, and- afterwards were 

 made, four times a day, to take a cold bath, in water derived 

 from an eminently cold spring; and that the consequences 

 were, sixteen out of the twenty-four died of locked jaw. 

 In Mr. Gavin^s case, to be found in * The Veterinarian,' 

 vol. XXV, p. 429, tetanus appears to have resulted from the 

 heat of the weather, which at the time of operation appears 

 to have been excessive. 



Amaurosis occurred, under D'ArbovaFs observation, on 

 the fourth day after the operation, in a horse three years old, 

 which had passed the night embedded in mud, in a ditch : but 

 it disappeared after continuing six days. Another horse, 

 four years old, turned out, after the operation, into low 

 pasturage, and lying out, became amaurotic next morning : 

 he was immediately taken into the stable, and eight davs 

 afterwards had recovered. Fromage de Feugre has likewise 

 observed amaurosis follow castration, which was attended bv 

 hemorrhage of the cord : this likewise terminated favoral)lv. 

 But the most striking case of this kind is one Goliier relates. 



A month after having been castrated, a horse, in his sixth year, exhibited 

 a champignon as large as an e^g. Gohier laid open 'the scrotum 

 deeply, and placed above the induration well-closed clams. A small 

 11. 38 



