AMPUTATION OF THE PENIS 



383 



2. Gangrene of the penis occurs in dogs and oxen from 

 incarceration of the free extremity by the prepuce or sheath. 

 The free end becomes swollen from some cause or other and 

 then finds the sheath orifice too small to readmit it. The 

 strangulation accentuates the swelling and gangrene of the 

 exposed part supervenes. In horses gangrene of parts of 

 the glans and prepuce sometimes follows paraphimosis due 

 to enormous cedematous swelling that interferes with the 

 circulation but the marked elasticity of the sheath protects 

 them against extensive gangrenes that destroy the entire 

 exposed portion by transverse pressure. But the most for- 



FiG. 193 — Chronic Paraphimosis. 



midable gangrenes of the penis occur from freezing. The 

 penis is accidentally protruded on the cold floor or ground 

 during sleep^ and thus becomes fatally frozen. 



In all of these various forms of gangrene, amputation is 

 essential, as self amputation by sloughing off of the dead por- 

 tion at the line of demarcation' is always followed later by 

 stenosis of the urethra, and generally there is obstruction to 

 the flow of urine while the sloughing process evolves. 



In gangrene of the penis amputation is postponed until 

 the extent of the destroyed tissues can be determined, so that 



