CASTRATION OF FEMALES 93 



taken to avoid separating the peritoneum from the 

 muscular portion of the wall, lest a pocket or sac be 

 formed which in retaining wound secretions would be 

 likely to cause local post-operative infection and result 

 in generalized septic peritonitis. There is little danger 

 of doing injury to the vessels or to the rectum, however, 

 if the operator uses a reasonable degree of care in his 

 work. 



Finding the Ovary. — The hand is pushed through 

 the incision in the vaginal wall into the peritoneal 

 cavity and thence turned downward and forward, and 

 the bodj^ of the uterus may be readily located. The 

 horns of the uterus bifurcate at almost right angles, 

 and liy tracing them out, the ovary is found suspended 

 l)y means of the broad ligament ; it is then secured 

 within the grasp of the fingers and drawn into the 

 vaginal canal if the ligament is sufficiently long or 

 lax to permit this. In some mares the ovary seems to 

 be suspended in a rather elevated po.sition in the sub- 

 lumbar region, and the broad ligament is really broad 

 and short, making it impossible to bring the ovary 

 down through the vaginal wall into the canal. In 

 such eases, it is best to twist the ovary a few turns 

 causing the expansion of its supporting ligament to be- 

 come grouped in a cord-like mass. This readily allows 

 the structure to be grasped by the spaying emaseulator 

 or eeraseur, and facilitates amputation. 



After having removed the ovary by means of a suit- 

 able spaying emaseulator, it is confined wdthin the hand 

 and the other ovary is removed in the same manner. 

 If it is possible — and it usually is — to draw the organ 

 into the vaginal canal before amputating, it is left 

 in the canal until both are severed; thus both are re- 



