ANIMAL CASTEATION. 127 



most extensively practised. It is easy and quick in 

 its performance ; performs the most certain hemos- 

 tasis upon the artery, and notwithstanding some 

 slight objections, merits a preference over all others. 

 The principal objection alleged against it is that it 

 is attended with great pain to the suffering patient 

 when the pressure of the instrument upon the soft 

 tissues is first felt. This is a doubtful question, and 

 if this excessive amount of pain really exists, it cer- 

 tainly cannot be of long continuance, merely on ac- 

 count of the effect produced by the clamps themselves. 



Of the various methods by Ugattire, that of the li- 

 gation of the cord with its envelopes is applicable to 

 small animals only. That upon the cord alone is 

 liable to be followed by hemorrhage, or by the exces- 

 sive retraction of the cord into the abdominal cavity, 

 drawing the ligature with it. That of the efferent 

 canal and of the cord by the subcutaneous mode are 

 not admitted in general practice, while that of the 

 artery alone has not been extensively performed on 

 large animals, so far as we are informed, except by 

 certain Massachusetts veterinarians. 



The castration by double subcutaneous huisting, when 

 extensively applied to solipeds, will probably prove 

 to be the safest mode of all, and least likely to be 

 followed by complications. We are not informed as 

 to the extent to which it has been practised in this 

 country, even amongst ruminants. 



Aseptic Castration is no doubt the chosen method 

 when it can be strictly applied. With minute asepsy 

 the results are most brilliant, and of 48 horses oper- 

 8,ted by Plosz, 47 recovered without suppuration. 



