CASTRATION OF CRYPTORCHIDS 29 



Indeed, under modern surgical technic* the 

 flank operation is in any case quite as safe as 

 the inguinal, whenever the operator inserts his 

 hand into the peritoneal cavity. 



Should the testicle be in a pathologic state, and 

 adherent to the intestines or other viscera, the 

 flank operation is advisable or even necessary. 

 In the one pathologic testicle removed in our 

 clinics, the patient being a pig, the testicle was 

 firmly adherent to two loops of small intestine. 

 It was necessary to draw these out with the 

 gland and dissect them away. 



In other animals than the horse, we con- 

 stantly prefer the flank operation, except we can 

 recognize the epididymis in the inguinal region, 

 and draw the gland out by traction. 



Laparotomy. — For the flank operation, the 

 patient is secured in lateral recumbency with 

 the head end inclined, the flank shaved and dis- 

 infected, and an incision is made as for flank 

 spaying, of a size to admit one finger or the en- 

 tire hand, according to the conditions. 



In small pigs and dogs and cats we have found 

 the small wound sufficient. In large boars we 



