718 



DISEASES OF SWINE 



west the older methods of swine-raising still prevail to a limited 

 degree, hence it is in this section that the operation of spaying is 

 still practised to a limited extent. 



Age. — The operation is best performed at four months of age. 

 However, it is permissible to operate any time from sixty days to 

 maturity or even old age. 



Season. — Sows should not be spayed during "fly time" or in 

 extremely cold weather. Best to operate in the fall, early winter, 

 and spring. 



Anatomic Conformation and Relative Relation of Important 

 Organs and Parts. — It is well to remember that the Fallopian 



Fig. 109. — Internal genital organs of sow: A, Rectum; B, vagina; C, blad- 

 der; D, uterus; E, left fallopian tube or "horn"; F, right Fallopian tube or 

 "horn"; G, ovary; H, H, H, intestines; /, kidney. 



tubes ("horns of uterus") in sows are extremely long in comparison 

 to size of animal, and that their course is decidedly tortuous in the 

 pelvis and abdominal cavities. The importance of the above can 

 be more thoroughly comprehended and appreciated if you will care- 

 fully observe these parts and their relation, which is plainly illus- 

 trated in a diagrammatic way in Fig. 109. The body of the uterus 

 is unusually short when the length of its tubes (''horns") are taken 

 into consideration. The cervix (neck of womb) does not project 

 into the vagina in such manner as is observed in most other domes- 

 tic and wild animals. On the other hand, the vagina and uterus of 



