30 Animal Castration 



Warning — Before undertaking to operate take the time and 

 precaution to satisfy yourself on the following points : 



1. That the animal is not of a disposition or temperament 

 which would make operating in the standing posture counter- 

 indicated. 



2. That the testicle is actually in the scrotum. 



3. That no hernia is present, 



4. That the animal is not affected with those local diseases of 

 the scrotum, testicle or cord which would counter-indicate the 

 operation. 



5. That he is not suffering from any specific constitutional 

 disease which would cause the operation of castration by any 

 method to hazard his life. 



6. That you have a dependable — preferably an experienced — 

 assistant in charge of the twitch and be sure the twitch is a 

 good one. 



Sterilisation of Instruments and Cleansing Operator's Hands — ■ 

 See page 24. 



Preparation of Patient — At first thought it would be considered 

 proper to disinfect the field of operation by some form of wash- 

 ing with one of the many excellent antiseptic preparations. How- 

 eve]', experience and close observation lead me to state that the 

 advisability and practicability of undertaking the disinfection of 

 the field of operation at this particular juncture — after the twitch 

 is applied — is, to say the most of it, a debatable question. Au- 

 septic or even antiseptic surgery would suggest it, but the author 

 is willing to chance running the gauntlet of criticism by here 

 going on record as opposing disinfection of the operative field. 

 His only reason for so doing is simply on account of the fact 

 that if a man is to do a satisfactory and successful operation with 

 the animal in the standing posture it is imperative that the opera- 

 tion begin as soon as the twitch is applied and end at the earliest 

 possible moment, otherwise the twitch as an implement of sub- 

 jection is not a success and, of course, the violent struggles and 

 efforts to escape on part of the animal would make the operation 

 a failure. I realize that in making the above statement I "run 

 counter" to some eminent authority, but since I have never yet 

 seen a single successful operator on stallions in the standing pos- 



