238 
THE USE OF CHLOROFORM DURING CASTRATION OF HORSES. 
to supply, no doubt, a productive quality of 
horses to the labors of the country ; but princi- 
pally to procure funds towards the extinction of 
a debt contracted in acquiring the grounds of 
Khrenoff. 
The stud grooms and 'officials, who are fur- 
nished with their recruits from among the sons 
of the subordinate dependents of the establish- 
ments and the peasants belonging to them, were, 
on the 1st of January, 1849, (old style,) 3,298 in 
number, including 1,310 boys. 
With the view of affording an education to 
the children of these functionaries, the govern- 
ment has established schools for them, and to 
these schools the miscellaneous public are also 
admitted as pensioners. The schools furnish 
two courses — one elementary, and intended to 
form the pupils for the moi - e subordinate duties; 
the other serving as a preparation for the veteri- 
nary calling. In 1849, the students amounted 
to 646 in number, of whom 611 were state bur- 
sars and 35 private pensioners. In addition to 
these institutions, there is a technical school at 
the Khrenoff stud, where the pupils are farmed 
for training grooms and jockeys ; and a special 
stable for racers has been annexed to the estab- 
lishment. 
The capital possessed by this department con- 
sisted, at the beginning of 1848, of 108,297 silver 
roubles, 23 kopeks. The year's income was 
402,173 silver roubles, 94i kopeks; the expenses 
in the same period were 432,984 silver roubles, 
94i kopeks the balance, therefore, was 77,486 
silver roubles, 23 kopeks in hand on the 12th of 
January, last year. 
Besides these more formal institutions, there 
are twenty-three country establishments, destined 
to the improvement of the rural breed of horses. 
These twenty-three are scattered through twenty- 
eight governments. So far back, even as 1848, 
their stables numbered no less than 1,337 stall- 
ions. 
In the government of Yarosiaff, Riazan, Toula, 
Timbiask, Khankoff, Poltava, and some others, 
these stables contain some thorough-bred stall- 
ions for the improvement of cavalry horses, and 
the annual proceeds are carried to the general 
fund. 
At Moscow, moreover, and in the stud of Khre- 
noff, there are stables established exclusively 
for the production of a purer breed ; and in the 
twelve months, 40,673 mares have been offered 
at these country stables, and 25,397 taken. In- 
deed, 91,000 have been covered since the recent 
date of the foundation of these establishments, 
and, at the least, sixty-seven per cent, have 
foaled. The cavalry horses are already bet- 
tered in consequence. 
For the maintainance of these stables, a sum 
is assessed upon the taxable matter of 28 gov- 
ernments. In 1848, the cost amounted to 237,- 
028 roubles and 924- kopeks ; and the tax payers 
felt the burden to the amount of only one kopek 
and a seventh a head. The kopek is the hun- 
dredth part of a rouble. [The rouble is a money 
of account in Russia. That coined since 1762, 
is worth about 75 cents of our money. — Eds.] — 
London Morning Post. 
THE USE OF CHLOROFORM DURING- CASTRATION 
OF HORSES. 
The first subject was a yearling colt for cas- 
tration. 
Having adjusted my hobbles, I applied the 
bladder, containing about one ounce of the 
chloroform, to the off nostril, my assistant clos- 
ing the other with his hand ; when, in less than 
one minute, the animal staggered, and I believe 
would have fallen from the effect of it, but we 
drew the hobbles together, and secured his legs. 
I then commenced the operation, (you are aware 
it is not a very long one,) which lasted about 
three minutes, during which time there was not 
a struggle, and having finished, we unfastened 
the ropes, the animal lay for about a minute, 
and then jumped up all right. 
The next was a two-year-old half-bred colt, 
for the same operation. 
Two ounces of the chloroform were put in 
the bladder, and on its being applied, as in the 
former case, the animal shook his head, bounded 
forward, nearly knocking us down, struck out 
with his fore legs, and appeared almost like a 
mad horse for some time, (say four or five min- 
utes,) but shortly afterwards he stood more 
quietly, and the effect of the agent became very 
visible, by his reeling about. 
After having cut through the scrotum, and 
divided the cremaster muscle of the lower testi- 
cle, which I did with perfect ease, and without 
any notice having been taken of it by the pa- 
tient, I proceeded to take hold of the other, for 
the purpose of removing it, when I found it so 
withrawn from my reach, that I was compelled 
to wait about a minute and a half for its re-ap- 
pearance. Having then secured it as before, 
and cut into the scrotum, before I could divide 
the cremaster, he gave a struggle, and continued 
to do so for some little time, and, in fact until I 
finished the operation. I am of opinion the 
struggles were more violent than if the chloro- 
form had not been used. I, therefore, am of 
opinion that there is no certainty in its action, 
and scarcely any advantage, on the score of 
humanity, to the patient, especially during the 
operation of castration ; but I will give it another 
trial upon some animal about to be fired. Should 
you see anything in my description of the use 
of the agent that requires alteration, I should 
feel obliged by your making me acquainted 
with it, so that I may adopt it in my next case. 
Do you not think that the sensation which 
causes the appearance of madness, must be 
more painful than even the operation itself J 
The administration of chloroform seems to 
have been attended by different results in the 
two cases above described. In the case first 
operated on, the agent had a speedy, and, so far 
as ensuring quietness and insensibility to pain 
are concerned, a beneficial action. In the sec- 
ond instance, an increase of excitability in the 
nervous system preceded the full anesthetic 
action of the chloroform. From what we have 
seen of the employment of this agent, we may 
remark that our experience corroborates the 
accounts before given as to the uncertainty or 
irregularity of its operation. Even provided 
