CON'I'IJOI, OK OXEN. 



723 



are usually ringed at an early age ; the " bulldogs " can be employed 

 and removed at will. 



In inserting a nose ring the head is securely fixed, the centre 

 line of the muzzle is grasped with the left hand, and the septum 

 nasi is pierced with a straight bistoury, the cutting edge being 

 turned in a backward direction ; the aperture being thus prepared, 

 the ring is introduced and fixed. Some operators prefer to use a 

 trocar, slightly exceeding in diameter the ring to be worn ; in that 

 case the manual technique is the same. The puncture is made, the 

 trocar alone is withdrawn, and the canula remains in situ; one 

 extremity of the ring is then inserted into the canula, and both 



Fig. 288. — Fixing an ox for the examination of a hind limb. 



are drawn through the septum together. There is no difficulty in 

 thus inserting the ring, though puncture with the trocar is perhaps 

 rather less convenient than with the bistoury. 



Eelative control without casting may also be effected by attaching 

 the end of the tail to the base of the horns or the head to the cannon 

 bone of a front or hind limb. These methods, however, are of little 

 value except to prevent animals at grass from escaping entirely during 

 operation. 



CONTROL BY CASTING. 



Oxen should always be cast on a thick straw bed to avoid fracturing 

 the horns. 



The simplest method consists in using hobbles and ropes, as for 

 the horse. 



a A 2 



