430 BOVINE PATHOLOGY. 



round the root of tlie scrotum that this organ with its 

 contents underwent mortification, and in due course of 

 time sloughed off, or was removed with the knife. 

 Quite recently a modification of this process has been 

 suggested and tried in France with some success ; this 

 is the compression of the root of the scrotum by means 

 of an elastic hand, considerably too small. This method 

 has the advantage of the pressure being even, and 

 constantly varying with the diminution in size of the 

 root. Generally the process of removal with the hot 

 iron is adopted. The patient is thrown, the skin rendered 

 tense over one testicle with the hand, and an incision 

 made boldly in as far as the tunica vaginalis testis; 

 the sperm gland is then drawn out, and the opera- 

 tion completed by division of the cord by means of a 

 red-hot iron. Sometimes the scrotum is opened with the 

 hot iron, it being urged that this entirely checks any ten- 

 dency to union of the external wound by first intention, 

 whereby the pus from the seared end of the cord is apt 

 to become pent up. Subsequently the parts should be 

 examined occasionally, to see that this closure does not 

 take place too early, and also to break down any adhesion 

 between the spermatic cord and the external wound. 

 After the testis has been freed the cord may be scraped 

 through with a knife having a jagged edge, or the posterior 

 part having been freely divided, the anterior may be 

 scraped through. This method has the advantage of being 

 quick, surgical, and not liable to be followed by haemor- 

 rhage or other complications ; also not infrequently the 

 parts heal, even without suppuration. 



The method of ligature consists in tying either the whole 

 cord or only the spermatic artery in the anterior part, and 

 then removing the testis. It is said that tetanus is rather 

 apt to follow this form of the operation, also there is a lia- 

 bility to secondary haemorrhage when the ligature separates. 



Torsion, either of the whole cord, or simply of 

 the spermatic artery, until it gives way, is not liable to 

 be followed by haemorrhage, and is preferred by some 

 practitioners; it certainly is very effectual. In France 



