SURGICAL OPEEATIONS. 299 



domesticity, a menace to their companions and a dangerous incum- 

 brance to themselves. 



The matter has acquired enhanced importance from the fact that, 

 owing to the strenuous efforts made by the United States Department 

 of Agriculture, the invidious discrimination which barred the en- 

 trance to Europe of American stockers has been removed, and our 

 cattle now make lengthened journeys by land and sea. The removal 

 of their horns will, then, not only lessen the owner's risk, but will also 

 add materially to the comfort and safety of the animals themselves. 



But there is fortunately within the reach of all an open avenue or 

 escape from that portion of the operation which supplies the only 

 cogent argument against the practice under discussion. 



The owner of the 2 or 3 days' old calf, if he wishes it to all in- 

 tents and purposes a " moolly," can dehorn it, or, more correctly 

 speaking, prevent horns ever developing, by means of a chemical 

 preparation which reduces the pain to a minimum, while it is even 

 more effectual than either the saw or forceps. There are several 

 chemical dehorners advertised in the open market, most or all of 

 them effective, but the cheapest and simplest consists of a stick of 

 caustic potash. 



The operation is performed as follows, and is uniformly successful, 

 if j^erformed before the calf is 3 days old : The little animal is caught 

 and gently laid over on its side, in which position it is easily held by 

 one assistant while the operator clips the hair off the trifling promi- 

 nence on the frontal bone which marks the spot on the uppermost 

 side of the head where the horn would be developed if not interfered 

 with. He then takes his stick of potash, -dips it in cold water, and 

 carefully rubs it over the part just clipped for the space of, say, 10 

 seconds. The calf is now turned over, the corresponding portion of 

 the frontal bone on the other side clipped and thoroughly rubbed 

 with the moistened potash the same way as the first. By this time 

 the side first treated is dry and ready for a second application of the 

 caustic, which should conform exactly to the first. Follow the same 

 procedure on the remaining side, where the matrix of the embryo 

 horn has been located, and, if the caustic has been properly applied, 

 no horns will ever make their appearance. 



For animals intended to be kept either for steers or dairy cows, 

 nothing can be more effectual, but it were well to discriminate be- 

 tween these and the head of the herd, the bull, and for this reason : 

 We dehorn our cows and steers chiefly to protect tliem from each 

 other, whereas our main object in dehorning the bull is to protect 

 ourselves. For this reason our end in the case of the latter is more 

 effectually accomplished if we leave him in possession of his horns 

 until he has learned to rely upon them as his weapons of offense and 

 defense and then deprive him of his armament. If we employ in his 



