CATCHING AND HOLDING THE PIG. 147 



right ovary, vhich it draws through the opening; a ligature is then 

 passed round this one, and the left ovary felt for in like manner. 

 The operator then severs off these two ovaries, either by cutting 

 or tearing, and returns the womb and its appurtenances to their 

 proper position. This being done, he closes up the womb with two 

 or three stitches, sometimes rubs a little oil over it, and releases 

 his patient, and all generally goes on well ; for the healing power 

 of the pig is very great, as the following fact will testify. 



Mr. Thomson, veterinary surgeon at Beith, N. B., was castrating 

 a pig, and while cutting through the peritoneum, one of the assist- 

 ants lost his hold, and the animal sprang up. The scalpel was 

 plunged deep into the belly, entered one of the convolutions of the 

 ileum, and divided one of the guts almost through, besides making 

 a wound in the mesentery. Mr. Thomson sewed up the mesentery 

 with a fine needle and thread, and restored it to its place, and se- 

 cured the side with firm stitches not, however, with much hope of 

 seeing his patient recover. But, to his surprise, two days afterwards 

 little appeared to be the matter, and in a short time the animal was 

 well. 



The after treatment is very simple. The animals should be well 

 littered with clean litter, in styes weather-tight and thoroughly ven- 

 tilated ; their diet should be attended to ; sour milk or whey, with 

 barley-meal, is an excellent thing to give at these times ; it is well 

 to confine them for a few days, as they should be prevented from 

 getting into cold water or mud until the wound is perfectly healed, 

 and also from creeping through hedges or fences. 



The best age for spaying a sow is about six weeks ; indeed, as a 

 general axiom, the younger the animal is castrated the better it gets 

 over the operation, which is seldom attended by fatal results. Some 

 persons, however, have two or three litters from their sows before 

 they operate upon them ; where this is the case, the consequences 

 are more to be feared, as the parts have become more susceptible, 

 and are consequently more liable to take on inflammation. Lisle 

 says : " Where this is done, it is best to spay a sow two or three 

 days before her litter of pigs are weaned, because then, if harm 

 follows the operation, the young ones will draw off the venom." 



CATCHING AND HOLDING THE PIG. 



Swine are very difficult animals to obtain any mastery over, or 

 to operate on or examine. Seldom tame or easily handled, they 

 are at such periods most unmanageable, kicking, screaming, and 

 even biting fiercely. Hurtrel d'Arboval recommends the following 

 means of getting hold of them : " Fasten a double cord to the end 

 of a stick, and beneath the stick let there be a running noose in this 



