458 BLEEDING. 



rather late in the spring or early in the autumn, when the air is temperate 

 and particulai'ly when the weather is dry. 



The only preparation necessary for the colt is keeping him without 

 food for twelve hours before performing the operation. In the majority 

 of cases, no after-treatment will be necessary, except that the animal 

 should be sheltered from intense heat, and more particularly from wet. 

 In temperate weather he will do much better running in the field than 

 nursed in a close and hot stable. The moderate exercise that he will 

 take in grazing will be preferable to perfect inaction. A large and well 

 ventilated box, however, may be permitted. 



The manner in which the operation is performed Avill be properly left to 

 the veterinary surgeon ; although we must confess we are disposed to 

 adhere to the old way of opening the scrotum with the hot iron and sear- 

 ing off the testicle with it. The writer has operated on some hundi'eds 

 of colts in this manner, and, however fearful the opei-ation may appeal, 

 experience proves that it is attended with the most successful results. It 

 possesses the advantage of great simplicity in performing the operation, 

 and also from the wound made through the scrotum by the hot iron, 

 taking a considerably longer period to heal than an ordinary incised one, 

 more time is allowed for the slough from the cord to pass through the 

 opening, and thus prevent that swelling and inflammation which so fre- 

 quently follow, when the opening in the scrotum has closed before the 

 slough has separated from the end of the cord. 



There are several other modes adopted by practitioners in performing 

 this operation. Amongst some, what is called the caustic clam is the 

 favourite method. This consists in opening the scrotum and compressing 

 the cord between two pieces of wood on which some caustic preparation 

 has been placed, and by this means arresting hajmorrhage. There is at 

 least an appearance of brutality in this, and we beheve much uunecessarj 

 pain inflicted when the spermatic cord (the vessels and the nerve) is 

 tightly compressed between two pieces of wood, as in a powerful ^^ce, 

 and left there either until the testicle drops off or is removed on the 

 folloAving day by the operator. By others, the scrotum is opened and the 

 testicle removed with a scalpel, hasmorrhage being prevented by a ligature 

 placed round the cord. Another mode of castration has been lately in- 

 troduced : it is called the operation by Torsion. An incision is made into 

 the scrotum as in the latter mode of operation, and the vas deferens is ex- 

 posed and divided. The artery is then seized by a pair of forceps con- 

 trived for the purpose, and twisted six or seven times round. It retracts 

 as soon as the hold on it is quitted, the coils are not untwisted and all 

 bleeding has ceased. The testicle is removed, and there is no sloughing 

 or danger. The most painful part of the operation — the application of 

 tlie firing-iron or the clams — is avoided, and the wound readily heals. To 

 the practice of some farmers of hvitcMng their colts at an early period, 

 sometimes so early as a month, there is strong objection, AVhen the 

 operation of twitching is performed, a small cord is dravra as tightly as 

 possible round the scrotum between the testicle and the belly. The cir- 

 culation is thus stopped, and, in a few days, the testicles and the scrotum 

 droD off ; but not until the animal has sadly suffered, and inflammation 

 and death frequently ensue. 



BLEEDING. 



This operation is performed with a fleam or a lancet. The first is the 

 common instrument, and the safest, except in skilful hands. The lancet, 

 however, has a more surgical appearance, and will be adopted by the 

 veterinary practitioner. A blood-stick — a piece of hard wood loaded at 



