EXPERIMENTS ON THE EFFECTS OF SPAYING COWS. 221 
and a few days after gave upwards of thirteen quarts of milk, 
which quantity she continued to give for sixty-three days; 
falling off to half that amount during an interval of twenty- 
eight days, in spite of every possible precaution. This last 
quantity she kept up for six months and eleven days, from 
which time she grew insensibly dry, and was sold to the butcher 
fat. The quantity (quality]) of her milk never varied; she 
evinced some signs of bulling. 
Sixth Experiment. — A cow, five years old, very irritable, 
calved the 18th June, 1842, and was spayed 24th July. In 
the course of the same day she was affected with lumbago. The 
medicine prescribed not affording any relief by the next day, I 
recommended her being sent to the butcher. 
Seventh Experiment. — A cow of the Suisse breed, four 
years of age, calved a second time the 1st March, 1843, and 
had a laborious parturition. Nevertheless, fifteen days after- 
wards she gave two gallons of milk. During this interval she 
became affected with internal ophthalmia, which terminated by 
the total loss of the eye. This accident caused her owner to 
make up his mind to have her spayed; an operation I performed 
on the 30th of the same month. On the 5th April the cow 
gave nearly two gallons of milk, a quantity which did not vary 
to the 3d of September following. Afterwards, becoming fat, 
she insensibly grew dry, and was sold to the butcher. She 
never experienced any return of the oestrum ; nor did the qua- 
lity of her milk vary. 
Eighth Experiment. — A cow of Aubrae, five years old, 
gave even during her being in calf nearly two gallons of milk. 
She had produced her second calf 20th March, 1843, and was 
spayed 26th April ; an operation by which we thought to cure 
her of her viciousness, a result which followed. The 10th of 
May this cow gave six quarts, and this quantity, which in the 
course of a few days increased to upwards of four gallons, was 
regularly maintained for eight months and nine days. Arriving, 
however, in a state of fatness, she commenced drying from day 
to day; and in January 1844 was delivered up for slaughter. 
This cow shewed signs of bulling, and, from the account of her 
owner, her milk became less buttery than that of other cows ; 
and the slightest work tired her. 
From these facts, and I forbear to add to them, there results 
evidently to me — 1st, That the spaying of cows is not always 
attended with a more abundant and constant secretion of milk. 
2dly, That this milk does not acquire qualities superior to that 
of cows not operated on. 3dly, That the only advantage de- 
rived from the operation is a very great disposition to grow fat, 
and this renders the meat more juicy. 4thly, That this obesity, 
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