THE MALE GENERATIVE ORGANS 283 



puted argument as to whether a dog has been castrated 

 or not. 



In one instance in which the author was called upon to decide, the 

 patient, an Irish terrier, had been sold by one man to another for two 

 guineas, the purchaser discovering the absence of testicles about a week 

 later. He returned the dog and demanded his money back. The vendor, 

 who had bred the dog and knew that no operation had been performed, 

 refused to return the purchase-money, and at this stage, at the request of 

 the vendor's veterinary surgeon, the author was called upon to decide. 

 An operation was agreed to, laparotomy was performed, and the missing 

 testicles were discovered in the sublumbar region. The patient made a 

 rapid recovery. 



On account of the smaller size of the inguinal canal, 

 unless the misplaced organs happen to be close at hand, the 

 best method of reaching them is to perform laparotomy and 

 remove them through the abdominal wound. ^ If they can 

 be felt in the inguinal region the operation merely becomes 

 a modified castration. Under a general anaesthetic and 

 with the usual antiseptic precautions (p. 2), an incision is 

 made in the median line immediately in front of the prepuce. 

 The operator inserts his middle finger and searches in the 

 lumbar and pelvic regions for the missing testicles, with- 

 drawing each one in turn, and excising it after the application 

 of a boiled silk ligature. The abdominal wound is then 

 sutured and treated as already described (see Laparotomy, 

 p. 158). 



Hermaphrodites. 



Sometimes a dog or cat is seen possessing organs of 

 generation which partake partly of the shape and character 

 of the male and partly of the female. To this freak of 

 Nature the term ' hermaphrodite ' is applied. 



Such animals are quite incapable of propagating their 

 species, although they may be able to effect coition, and on 

 this account they are apt to become troublesome. 

 1 Veteri77ary Record, vol. xii., p. 298. 



