644 CASTRATION. 



h 



cast him for the operation, and administer chloroform if thought 

 expedient /!^^ost operators have a "way of their o"vvn, I need 

 not describe, in a book of this kind, how it ought to be done, 

 except indeed that I cast animals of all ages for this opcratiou 

 mth the ropes, that I throw them upon the near side, and that 

 T sometimes operate without turning upon the back, and witn- 

 \ out including the fore feet in the ropes. In cases, however, 

 where the testicles are very small and difficult to get at, I find 

 it necessary to turn the animal upon his back. 



The animal, being now prepared Tor the final act of the opera- 

 tion may be deprived of his testicles in a variety of ways, which I 

 need not describe, as I consider that the most humane way is the 

 best of all ways, and that is the opera tion by torsio n, performed 

 as follows: — The operator is to be provided with two clams, one 

 made of two pieces of smooth rounded iron, jointed, the other of 

 flattened steel, as represented in the drawing. 



FiQ. 114. 



The operator having grasped the testicle intended to be first 

 removed — and it is good practice to remove the smaller one 

 first, when the colt is young, or the one farthest away if they are 

 both of a good size — with his left hand, is to secure it in positioa 

 by passing the smooth clam round the scrotum, so as to press, 

 the skin upon the spermatic cord, and thug prevent the with- 

 drawal of the testicle by the cremaster inuscl e when the incision, 

 is being made. When the testicle is firmTy included in the 

 clam, the scrotal skin is to be pulled tight over it, and the 

 incision made close to the raphe, and low down towards the 

 sheath, in order to allow the escape of all subsequent discharges^ 

 and prevent swelling. The incision is to be made with a bold' 

 sweep of the scalpel, and is to be at least three inches long, when: 

 the testicle will generally pop out The smooth clam is now to 

 be removed, and the flat clam — serrated upon its edges — ap- 

 plied to the spermatic cord, above the epididymu^, and securely? 



