CASTRATION OF CRYPTORCHIDS 13 



Control. — The securing of the patient, in case 

 of the horse, needs be either in dorsal recum- 

 bency, or in the lateral position, with that side 

 upon which the hidden testicle is located, upper- 

 most. There is but one essential detail in secur- 

 ing the horse : The thigh on the side of the hid- 

 den testicle must be fully abducted. This may be 

 effectively accomplished by many methods of cast- 

 ing, and may be perfectly attained upon some 

 types of operating table. 



If the thigh is not completely abducted, the 

 operator may find his hand so compressed that it 

 is soon fatigued and disabled, and the operator 

 confused and lost. It is a great error to attempt 

 the operation except this abduction is complete 

 and secure. Should the apparatus slip during the 

 operation, and the operator's hand become com- 

 pressed, it is liable to greatly confuse even an ex- 

 perienced surgeon. 



The question of general anesthesia is one upon 

 which operators may justly differ. For the be- 

 ginner, it is the best way. The beginner may, 

 under proper aseptic precautions, manipulate an 

 anesthetized cryptorchid for half an hour or an 



