146 THE HOG. 



one assistant holds the animal against his cheat, while another kneels 

 down and secures the four legs. The operator then grasps the scro- 

 tum with his left hand, makes one horizontal incision across the base 

 of it, opening both divisions of the bag at the same time. Then 

 laying down his knife, he presses the testicles out with his finger and 

 thumb, grasps them between his teeth and tears them out. He then 

 closes the wound by pressing the edges gently together with his 

 fingers ; the tearing prevents all hemorrhage, and the wound speed- 

 ily heals. This mode of operation is sometimes performed on ani- 

 mals two and three years old. Some break the spermatic cord 

 without tearing it : they twist it, and then pull it gently and firmly 

 until it gives way. 



"Castration by sawing or scraping. Here a portion of the base 

 of the scrotum is cut off, the testicles forced out, and the cord sawn 

 through by a somewhat serrated but blunt instrument. The he- 

 morrhage, if any there be, is arrested by introducing ashes into the 

 wound. The animal is then dismissed, and nothing further done 

 with him. Fromage de Feagre has castrated many pigs of three or 

 four months old by dividing the spermatic cord in this way. This 

 mode of operating, however, should only be practised on very young 

 animals. 



"Castration by ligature. Here a waxed cord Is passed as tightly 

 as possible round the scrotum above the epididymes, which com- 

 pletely stops the circulation, and in a few days the scrotum and tes- 

 ticles will drop off. This mode of operating should never be per- 

 formed on pigs more than six weeks old, and the spermatic cord 

 should always be first of all uncovered." 



We cannot approve of the tearing or gnawing the testicle with 

 the teeth; it is a disgusting practice, and inflicts unnecessary pain 

 on the patient : the use of a blunt knife is far preferable, as thte la- 

 cerates the part equally as much without so bruising it and render 

 ing it painful ; and it is the laceration only we require, in order to 

 prevent the subsequent hemorrhage which would occur if the cord 

 were simply severed with a sharp instrument. 



The castration by ligature requires great nicety and skill, other- 

 wise accidents will occur, and considerable pain and inflammation 

 be caused. Too thick a cord, a knot not tied sufficiently tight, or 

 a portion of the testicle included in the ligature, will prevent the 

 success of the operation. 



The most fatal consequence of castration is tetanus, i iduced by 

 the shock communicated to the nervous system by the torture of 

 the operation. 



In spaying the sow the animal is laid upon its left side and 

 firmly held by one or two assistants; an inc'sion is then made 

 into the flank, the fore-finger of the right hand introduced into it, 

 and gently turned about until it encounters am hooks hold of the 



