314 A TREATISE ON HORSE-BREEDING. 



may be effected by taxis; that is, by laying- the animal on its 

 back, raising the hinder part of the body from the ground 

 as far as possible, ard by gentle manipulation of the scrotal 

 contents cause their return to the abdominal cavity. The 

 animal should then be laid on its side and allowed to rise as 

 quietly as possible. A return of intestine into the scrotum 

 may not occur again; but should it happen more than twice 

 it will be best to castrate the animal without unnecessary 

 delay, the removal of the testicles being done by the so- 

 called covered operation. It would be highly improper and 

 dangerous to castrate such an animal in the usual manner by 

 opening the tunica vaginalis (so-called striffing or white 

 sack), which is in direct connection with the abdominal cav- 

 ity. Scrotal hernia in older animals should be treated in a 

 similar manner; that is, the animal should be made resist- 

 less by the proper administration of anaesthetics, probably 

 the least dangerous of which is the following combination, 

 which is almost invariably used by myself in all animals, 

 viz.: one part of alcohol, two parts of chloroform, and three 

 parts of sulphuric ether, administered by saturating a 

 sponge, which should then be held close to (not against) the 

 lower nostril, while a towel or small blanket is laid loosely 

 over the sponge and half of the head. Both nostrils should 

 never be covered by the sponge. When entirely under the 

 influence of the anaesthetic the animal should be laid on its 

 back; sacks filled with oats or packed with hay should be 

 placed under the crupper and loins to raise that part of the 

 body from the ground; equilibrium of the body being main- 

 tained by strong bands holding the four limbs; the oiled 

 hand and arm inserted through the rectum; and by manipu- 

 lation of the intestines, simultaneously with judicious ma- 

 nipulation of the contents of the scrotum, the intestinal 

 contents of the latter may be entirely returned to the ab- 

 dominal cavity. Should, however, these efforts prove un- 

 successful, nothing remains but to resort to a surgical opera- 

 tion, the particulars of which I omit describing, as such an 

 operation could be successfully performed only by a veteri- 

 nary expert. Should the contents of the scrotum be suc- 

 cessfully returned, without surgical operation, it would be 



