ANIMAL CASTRATION. 135 



taetbod. The first is securing the animal. The cow 

 is usually kept on her feet, pressed firmly against a 

 "wall, the legs secured with hobbles, and her head 

 controlled, as much as possible, by a strong assist- 

 ant- The second step is the incision of the flank. 

 ThJs is made on the left side, with a sharp, convex 

 bistoury, in the middle of the superior portion of 

 that region, dividing the skin and muscles vertically, 

 care being taken that the incision is not carried too 

 low down, in order to avoid the division of the cir- 

 cumflex artery, which j)asses along in that vicinity. 

 An opening is then made in the peritoneum, either 

 with the knife or with the fingers, sufliciently large 

 to permit the introduction of the fingers. In the third 

 step of the operation, which comprehends the re- 

 moval of the ovary, the stirgeon introduces his hand 

 into the abdomen, and turning it towards the pelvis, 

 feels for the horns of the uterus. Upon finding 

 these the ovaries are easily discovered. He care- 

 fully draws them outwards, and their removal is ef- 

 fected either with the ecraseur or the forceps of 

 Charlier. The operation is concluded by the appli- 

 cation of a quill suture, or by a double row of sutures 

 and a dressing of iodoformed collodion. 



METHOD BY THE VAGINA. 



For this operation special instruments are re- 

 quired. These consist of, first, a vaginal dilator 

 (Fig. 29), or speculum, of peculiar and somewhat 

 complicated construction, to be modified subse- 



