CASTRATION OF CRYPTORCHIDS 33 



ment of our veterinary hospitals, with limited 

 opportunity for efficient disinfection. 



From the beginning of our clinic in 1896 up to 

 a recent date, we have noted an increased ten- 

 dency toward serious infections, from the open- 

 ing of the clinic in the autumn to its close in June. 

 The hospital and operating room were then va- 

 cant and open for the summer months. In other 

 words, the presence in the hospital and in the 

 operating room of cases of fistulous withers, poll- 

 evil and other chronic, profusely suppurating 

 maladies so befouled the estabHshment that viru- 

 lent infection abounded. Our cryptorchid cas- 

 trations came almost wholly toward the close of 

 our school year, when infection of our hospital 

 had apparently reached its highest virulence. 

 This we have fought so energetically that we now 

 believe we can perform most operations in our 

 hospital with greater safety than outside, and be- 

 lieve we can castrate as safely as anywhere. 

 Neither do we observe increased infection as the 

 year advances. In fact, we last year extended our 

 clinic to cover the entire year, and are still able 

 to keep wound infection under satsifactory control. 



