VAPO'NIZING POULTRY. 49 



testinea, which, if not sufficiently drawn up, may be pushed toward the breast- 

 bone lightly by a spoon-shaped instrument, or the Caudle of a teaspoon. The 

 organs to be removed are readily recognized — a small, reddish-yellow cylinder 

 attached to the spine on each side, covered with a fine membrane or skin, 

 which must first be removed with forceps and a fine hook to draw it away. 

 With the left hand introduce the bowl of a spoon (an instrument is made for the 

 purpose) under the lower or left testicle, which is generally a little nearer to the 

 rump than the right one. Then take the instrument called a cannula, which is 

 a hollow tube with a horse-hair passed through it, forming at the end a loop 

 which can be tightened by pulling on the two ends of the hair at the ether end 

 of the tube. Pass this loop around the testicle with the aid of something to 

 place it in position — the cannula has a hook for this purpose — so as to Irring the 

 loop to act npon the parts which connect the organ to the back. Then by draw- 

 ing the ends of the hair loop backward and forward, and at the same time pushing 

 the lower end of the cannula toward the rump of the fowl, the cord or fastening 

 of the organ is severed. A similar process is then to be repeated with the up- 

 permost or right testicle, after which any remains of the organs, together with 

 the blood around the wound or at the bottom, must be removed with the spoon. . 

 The reason for operating on the lower or left organ first is to prevent the blood 

 from covering the lower one if left last. When the operation is perforn!ied — 

 which if skillfully done occupies but a few moments — thfe retractor is taken out 

 and the skin drawn over the wound, which if it was drawn on one side before 

 cutting (as mentioned above) will connect at a place not exactly opposite the 

 wound in the flesh, thereby covering the flesh wound. If skillfully done it re- 

 quires no sewing. The old French system was to operate on each side of the 

 the fowl, but the system here described is considered an improvement on the 

 antiquated Gallic method. 



A corresponding operation may be performed upon pullets, making what the 

 French term " poulardes." We again quote from Tegetmeier : 



" The pullet is placed in the lap of the operator, on its right side and with its 

 back turned to the operator, the left leg being drawn forward so as to expose 

 the/ left flank, in which a longitudinal incision is made close to the side bone ; 

 this will bring to view the lower bowel, and alongside of it will be found the egg 

 passage or egg-pipe. If this is drawn to the orifice of the wound by a small 

 hooked wire, and cut across — or, what is perhaps better, a very short pieceof it 

 removed — the developement of the ovary or egg-producing organ is entirely pre- 

 vented, and the birds fatten rapidly, attaining also to a very large size. It is 

 most important to perform the operation before the puUets have begun to lay. 

 We would beg to impress most strongly the desirability of practicing these op- 

 erations in the first instance on dead birds of the same age, so that the oper- 

 ator may become acquainted with the situation and appearance of the parts 

 concerned. By this means a greater amount of success will be attained in the 

 first instance, and much unnecessary suffering saved to the animals. 



" The operation of making capons and poulardes is, as we have shown, attended 

 with some rfsk. The advantages gained are slight in comparison with the danger 

 of losing the bird, and with the positive amount of unnecessary pain inflicted 

 npon the animal." 



