Live Stock. 



496 



[Dec. 1906. 



Crushing Versus Castration in Ceylon. 



By T. B. Pohath-Kehelpanala. 

 I beg to supplement my paper re " Crushing of Cattle by the Kandyans,' 

 by the following note : — 



Protests are made by some Kandyans against buffalo-castration, alleging 

 that the new practise results in the premature death of the animal, and tends to 

 degenerate their condition and endanger the agricultural industry of the country. 

 The old form of " crushing," they urge, which they have practised from ages past, is 

 the best and safest method. I believe that castration is preferable to crushing, in that 

 it gives less pain to the animal and is followed by a considerably speedier cure than 

 in the case of the " crushed " animal. I disagree that castration causes early deaths, 

 or that it undermines the strength of the animal. 



In 1903. 1,518 head of cattle were operated upon by 65 trained men of the 

 Veterinary Department. With the exception of a few fatalities, all the cases proved 

 successful. The Society voted a sum of Rs. 1,500 for the surgical operations. But I 

 confine my remarks to buffaloes ; and among the number that underwent the 

 operation, perhaps a large number of black cattle has been included. 



I should think, however, that buffalo-castration is detrimental to the Kandyan 

 agriculturist in certain respects. Castration puts a dead stop to breeding, while the 

 crushed animal is capable of generating, and thus the country will not run short of* 

 good stock. 1 am speaking of those buffaloes whose glands are not entirely crushed, 

 but a small portion of whose glands is left unsqueezed. Buffaloes, whose organs are 

 entirely crushed, are few and far between. 



Again, the castrated animal greatly slackens his progress during levelling 

 and ploughing the fields. The reason is not far to seek. In the working of paddy 

 fields, it is the general custom to urge the animal to move faster and to take the proper 

 turns, by the application of the goad, more to the organs, than to the back. The 

 testicles are very ticklish, naturally, and are sensible to the slightest touch, and 

 buffaloes are never stirred to quicker work than by this process. What is left in 

 the glands of the castrated-animal is merely the bare skin. It is devoid of any sensi- 

 tiveness. Apart from this, the continuous goading might injure the healed wound 

 or even the abdomen of the castrated animal. The crushed animal has partially- 

 fleshy glands. Castration is decidedly effective for cart-bulls. 



