CASTRATION. 291 



the shoulder is dislocated from the arm, which is a rare occur- 

 rence, the disjunction may be forwards or backwards : it occurs 

 generally forwards. The elbow may be dislocated either inwards 

 or outwards ; but it happens more frequently inwards, and it is 

 seldom that it occurs without a fracture also. 



The hip joint is oftener dislocated than either of the former, 

 and it is most common for the head of the thigh bone to be carried 

 upwards and backwards, which makes the hip of that side sensibly 

 higher and posterior to the other, and renders it easily detected. 

 The muscles of the loins are so strong, that reduction of the thigh 

 is always difficult ; however, a firm and judicious extension will 

 eflFect it. The hind-knee, or stifle joint, which is that next the 

 hip, is the subject of dislocation ; and it more frequently occurs 

 inward than outward : this also, from the strength of the surround- 

 ing muscles, is often found difficult to reduce ; and it is but 

 seldom, likewise, that the elbow is dislocated without a fracture 

 also. When a dislocation has been reduced, a pitch or other ad- 

 hesive plaister should be applied around the joint to keep it in its 

 place, which may be further assisted by a proper bandage. It may 

 be useful to remark to the inexperienced practitioner, that he can 

 no way detect the presence of either dislocation or fracture so well 

 as by comparing the sound limb or joint attentively with the un- 

 sound one. 



CASTRATION. 



It now and then becomes necessary to perform this operation, 

 from disease of the spermatic cord, or from scirrhous swellings 

 in the testicles themselves. Whenever such a necessity occurs, 

 although castration is not a dangerous operation on the brute 

 subject, yet it requires the assistance of a veterinary or a human 

 surgeon. Each testicle should be taken out of the scrotum sepa- 

 rately, by an opening sufficiently large, when a ligature should 

 be applied, moderately tight only, around the spermatic cord, 

 about an inch and a half beyond its insertion into the testicle ; 



T 2 



