THE SPAYING OF COWS. 



39 



US constantly good milch cows, since we have called upon them to do so, for us to practice the 

 operation of spa^'ing upon them. Every owner of cattle is aware, that,from the time that the cow- 

 has received a bull, and in proportion aa gestation advances, the milk changes and diminishes pro- 

 gressively, until at last, two or three months before a healthy parturition, the animal gives very little 

 or no milk, whence ensues considerable loss ; while at the same time, after the cows are subjected 

 to the bull, the milk and butter are— for fifty days, at least — of a bad quality, and improper to be 

 exposed for sale ; hut in addition to this, breeding cows are eeneralty subjected to sucb loss in 

 TVinter, and their keepers find themselves during a great part of the year, entirely deprived of milk 

 and butter, and at a time, too, when they most need them. 



" By causing the cows to undergo this operation, as we have mentioned in the preceding chapter, 

 the owner will never fail of having milk and butter of excellent quality ; will fatten his animals 

 easily when they (ky up, and also will improve the race, an anxiety for which is perceived in many 

 provinces of France: v 



" In general, the means employed by farmers to obtain the best possible price for old cows, be- 

 yond being useful, or to use a commercial term, not merchantable, as to bring them to the bull, in- 

 tending that gestation shall give them more suitable plumpness, so that they may be sold on more 

 advantageous terms to the butcher; but do^s this state of fictitious embonpoint or fatness, render 

 the flesh of these beasts better? Assuredly not. It is merely bloated, flabby flesh, livid, and 

 which easily taints. Broth made from it is not rich, is without flavor, and without an agreeable 

 smell ; the lean and fat are in a measure infiltrated with water, and are consequently of bad 

 quality and difficult sale. These causes ought then to determine farmers to adopt the advice we 

 give; they, as well as the butcher and the consumer, will derive very great advantage from it. 



" As our method of operating may be slightly different from that pointed out by our colleague, 

 M. Levrat, we will describe that whicli we practice. 



" Having covered the eyes of the cow to be operated upon, we place her again^ a wall, provided 

 with five rings firmly fastened, and placed as follows : the first corresponds lo the top of the withers ; 

 the second to the low^er anterior part of the breast; the third is placed a little distance from the 

 angle of the shoulder ; the fourth is opposite to the anterior and superior part of the lower region, 

 and the fifth, which is behind, answers to the under part of the buttocks. We place a strong as- 

 sistant between the wall and the head of the animal, who firmly holds the left horn in his lefl hand, 

 and with his right, the muzzle, which he elevates a little. ' This done, we pass through and fasten 

 the end of a long and sti-ong plaited cord in the ring, which con-esponds to the lower part of the 

 breast ; we bring the free end of the cord alonjj the left flank and pass it through the ring which is 

 below and in front of the withers. We bring it down along the breast behind the shoulders and 

 the angle of the fore leg to pass it through the third ring; from there, we pass it through the ring, 

 which is at the top of the hack; then it must be passed around against the outer angle of the lefi 

 hip, and we fasten it, alter having drawn it tightly to the posterior ring by a simple bow-knot. 



*■ The cow being firmly fixed to the wall, we placed a cord, fastened by a slip-noose around its 

 hocks to keep them together in such manner that the animal can not kick the operator, the free end 

 of the cord and the tail are held by an assistant. The cow, thus secured, can not, during the 

 operation, move forward, nor lie down, and the veterinary surgeon has all the ease desirable, and 

 is protected from accident 



*• M. Levrat advises that an assistant should hold a plank or bar of wood obliquely under the 

 teats and before its limbs to ward off the kicks ; but this method is not al\Yay8 without danger, 

 both to the operator and the animal, because, at the commencement, that is, when the surgeon makes 

 the incision through the hide and the muscles, the cow makes such sudden movements and tries so 

 frequently to strike with its left hind foot, that it may happen that upon every movement, the plank 

 or the bar may be struck against the operator's legs. On the other hand, although^ the defense 

 may be firmly held by the assistant, yet it may happen, that in spite of his exertions, he sometimes 

 may he thrown against the operator by the movements she may attempt, and. there may be an 

 uncontrollable displacement of the plank or bar ; and then it may happen that she becomes 

 wounded, and at the same time prevents the operation, while, by the mode we point out, there is 

 DO fear of accident, either to the operator or the beast. In case of the want of a wall provided 

 with rings, we may use a strong palisade, a solid fence, or two trees a suitable distance apart, 

 across which we fix two strong bars of wood, separated from each other, accordiug to the size of 

 the cow. 



•' There is another means of confining them that we have employed for some time past, where 

 the cows were very strong and irritable, more simple than the preceding, less fatiguing for the ani- 

 mal, less troublesome to the operator, and which answers perfectly. It consists : First. In leaving 

 the cow almost free, covering her eyes, holding her head by two strong assistants, one of whom 

 seizes the nose with his hand and strongly pinches the nostrils, whenever the animal makes any 

 violent movements duri^g the operation. Second. To cause another assistant to hold the two hind 

 legs, kept together by means of a cord passed above and beneath the hocks ; this assistant also holds 

 the tail and pulls it, whenever the animal seeks to change its place. 



" The cow being conveniently disposed, and the instruments and appliances, such as curved 

 scissors upon a table, a convex edged bistoury, a straight one, and one buttoned at the point, suture [ 

 needle filled with double thread of desired length, pledgets of lint of appropriate size and length, , 

 a mass of tow (in pledgets) being collected in a shallow basket, held by an intelligent assistant^ 

 we place ourselves opposite to the left flank, our back turned a little toward the head of the animal t 

 we cut off the bair which covers the hide in the middle of the flanks, at an equal distance between 

 the back and the hip, for the space of thirteen or fourteen centimetres in circumference ; this done, 

 we fake the convex bistoury, and place it opened between our teeth, the edge out, the joint to the 

 leit; then, with both hands, we seize the hide in the middle of the flank and form of it a wrinkle 

 of the requisite elevation, and running lengthwise of the body. We then direct an assistant to 

 seize with his right hand the right side of this wrinkle ; we then take the bistoury that we held 



