384 VETERINARY SURGICAL OPERATIONS 



the seat of section can be located safely in the healthly 

 tissues above, and in order to prevent unnecessary loss. 



3. Hypertrophy of the Prepuce. — The prepuce of the 

 horse very frequently becomes enlarged by the formation of 

 an abundance of connective tissue within its folds. Injuries 

 from copulation, bruises and prolonged oedema are the most 

 common causative conditions. In geldings or worthless 

 studs, amputation of the penis is the safest remedy, while in 

 useful stallions ablation of the prepuce must first be at- 

 tempted. (See page 467). 



4. Chronic erection is a somewhat rare cause of paraphi- 

 mosis in an incurable form. The penis becomes hard along 

 its entire extent and despite the administration of anaphro- 

 disiacs and cold applications covering a long period, the erec- 

 tion persists for weeks and even months. The penis pro- 

 trudes from six inches to one foot from the sheath, and the 

 prepuce becomes slightly cedematous. It occurs in geldings 

 as well as in stallions and no .form of palliative treatment 

 tends to effect a cure. Amputation of the protruding portion 

 is the only remedy. '-, x", 



5. Neoplasms. — As a point of predilection for neoplasms 

 the penis of animals stand-S, -in the/first, rank,' and very fre- 

 quently the growths are malignant. EpitheTiomata frequent- 

 ly invade the penis, the prepuce and the sheath, often impli- 

 cating all three simultaneously, and unless ablation is prac- 

 ticed early they sooner or later develop into serious and then 

 fatal tumors. If recognized early ablation of the growth 

 itself is sufficient, but often they are neglected until the wide- 

 spread involvement necessitates the sacrifice of the entire 

 free end of the penis, and not infrequently the involvement is 

 too extensive for successful intervention. • • 



RESTRAINT. — The operation requires dorsal recum- 

 bent restraint and profound anaesthesia. Local anaesthesia is 

 insufficient and to attempt the operation without any effort 

 to prevent pain is both cruel and dangerous from fatal shock. 

 The casting harness is by far the best restraint although the 

 operating table will answer providing it is arranged to admit 

 the operator to the ventral surface of the abdomen. 



If the harness is used the patient is tied as for inguinal 

 operations, castrations, etc., and on the table the uppermost 

 limb is drawn upward. 



ANTISEPSIS. — The ordinary rules of antiseptic meth- 

 ods should prevail. The only special precaution to take is 

 that of submitting the dirty rugce of the sheath and of the 

 penis above the proposed line of amputation to an exception- 

 ally good washing first with plenty of soap and hot water and 



