EFFECTS OF CASTRATION. 
666 
by the man who was upon her, to “ come down like a shot.” 
Addgd to which, the mare was a “weaver” in her stall, and was 
known to be of that nervous temperament to cause her to be, 
without warning, dangerous of approach. 
Post-mortem examination . — The abdominal and thoracic ca- 
vities were searched, and their several viscera examined, after 
a cause of death, to no purpose. Every viscus and part bore 
the aspect of health. 
The BRAIN, however, afforded evidence enough of disease, 
to which, in the apparent absence of all other, was ascribed her 
dissolution. Tts meninges were surcharged with blood, and 
had a dark — a sort of dirty green — aspect. The cerebrum, 
sliced through the centrum ovale, presented numerous red points, 
some of unusually large size. There was no augmentation of 
fluid in the lateral ventricles; neither were there any perceptible 
changes in the parts within, save and except th e plexus choroides. 
At the bottom of each ventricle lie a red conglomerate fleshy- 
looking body, about the size of a hazel-nut — one being rather 
larger than the other — having its surface granulated as though 
it were a warty substance such as we see sometimes upon the 
human hand or finger. It had a solid uneven feel ; and, when 
cut into, proved to be of darker red colour inwardly than out- 
wardly, though still appearing to be made up of granules, which, 
on close examination, seemed to be clusters of vesicular emi- 
nences or corpuscles containing a fluid resembling serum. These 
were rubbed between the fingers without detection of any os- 
seous or calcareous ingredient. The venous vessels leading to 
and from the plexuses were much enlarged in their caliber, and 
their coats were thickened : in fact, the veins were in a con- 
dition denoting impediment to the flow of blood through them, 
and so far accounting, in some measure, for the congested state 
of the brain and its meninges ; and this congestion it was, to- 
gether with any pressure the weight or bulk of the enlarged 
plexuses might occasion against the walls of the sinuses, that 
appeared to be the immediate cause of the paroxysm of symp- 
toms which ended in death. 
EFFECTS OF CASTRATION. 
By Edward Crundall, V.S., 4th Regt. of Madras Light Cavalry. 
To the Editor of u The Veterinarian 
Sir, — I BEG to offer a few remarks on the pathological effects 
of castration. Preliminarily, it may, perhaps, be as well to 
mention the operation as practised generally here, and make 
some remarks on its success in old horses. 
