652 OPERATIONS. 



a case will have lost its serous character, and will have become 

 fibrous. If, on opening the scrotum, hernia be observed to be 

 present, the covered operation (p. 654) should be performed. It 

 may happen, especially in the case of old horses, that owing to pre- 

 vious inflammation the testicle adheres to the scrotum, and will not 

 easilv come out. If this occurs, the adhesions should be broken 

 down by the fingers, or they may be carefully dissected away by 

 any convenient blunt instrument. When handling the testicle 

 we shall find as a rule, that it is at times strongly drawn up towards 

 the abdomen by the cremaster muscle, the tendon of which we shall 

 be able to distinguish, at the posterior part of the testicle, by its 

 rigidity. We should divide this tendon by a touch of the knife, 

 and may also, without danger of causing bleeding, cut away some 

 of the bloodless portion of the cord at its posterior border, so as to 

 clear the testicle for removal. We should here remember that the 

 large blood-vessels of the cord are in front. We may now slip the 

 chain of the ecraseur over the testicle, and bringing it well down on 

 the cord, wind it up by the handle, until the cord is severed. Care 

 should be taken that the cord is not pulled upon in any way during 

 the struggles of the animal. Having screwed up the ecraseur to its 

 full extent, we may find that the cord is not altogether severed, in 

 which case, instead of pulling at the chain, it is safest to twist the 

 testicle round and round with the hand until it comes off. Having 

 removed the other testicle in a similar manner, we should wash out 

 the cavity freely with water, and then with a solution in water 

 of chinosol (20 grains to the pint), creolin or carbolic acid (| 

 oz. to the pint), or other suitable antiseptic (p. 67). If any 

 omentum (p. 284) protrudes, it should be pulled up, cut off, and 

 treated with the antiseptic lotion; for if it is allowed to hang 

 down when the animal gets on his legs, it will soon become united 

 to the wound in the scrotum, and will form an unhealthy tumour. 

 The animal may now be allowed to get up, and should be kept on 

 green, food for a week. The wound, to keep off flies, may be 

 smeared over, from time to time, with an ointment composed of 

 creolin or carbolic acid and vaseline (1 to 30), powdered aloes and 

 lard or vaseline, or turpentine and lard (1 to 4). Or the wound may 

 be syringed out, every now and then, with a solution of chinosol, 

 creolin or carbolic acid (p. 67). 



After this operation, there is generally a little bleeding, which 

 will soon stop of its own accord. 



2. BY THE HOT IRON. The procedure by this method is the 

 same as already described, up to the putting on of the chain, instead 

 of which a clam is passed underneath the testicle and around the 

 cord, close to the belly, and is secured by a ring which passes 



