Castration. 121 



" If the horse is designed either for the carriage, oi 

 for heavy draught, the farmer should not think of cas- 

 trating him until he is at least a twelvemonth old ; and, 

 even then, the colt should be carefully examined. If 

 he is thin and spare about the neck and shoulders, and 

 low in the withers, he "^dll materially improve by re- 

 maining uncut another six months; but if his fore- 

 quarters are fairly developed at the age of twelve 

 months, the operation should not be delayed, lest he 

 become heavy and gross before, and perhaps has be- 

 gun too decidedly to have a will of his o^\'ii. 



" No ^preparation is necessary for the sucking colt, 

 but it may be prudent to bleed and to physic one of 

 more advanced age. In temperate weather, he will do 

 much better running in the field, than nursed in a close 

 and hot stable. The moderate exercise that he Avill 

 take in grazing will be preferable to perfect inaction. 



"The old method of opening the scrotum (testicle bag) 

 on either side, and cutting off the testicles, and pre- 

 venting bleeduig by a temporary compression of the 

 vessels, while they are seared with a hot iron, must 

 not, perhaps, be abandoned ; 



" Another method of castration is by Torsion. An 

 incision is made into the scrotum, and the vas dif evens 

 is exposed and divided. The artery is then seized by 

 a pair of forceps, contrived for the pui-pose, and twisted 

 six or seven times round. It retracts without untwist- 

 ing the vX)ils, and bleeding ceases. The most painful 

 part of the operation — the operation of the firing-iron 

 or the clams — is avoided, and the wound readily heals." 



