394 
ON THE CASTRATION OF THE COW. 
inserted in the Recueil de Medecine Veterinaire, made us ac- 
quainted with the results. 
From this time no more was heard, that we know of, save that 
M. Merin, veterinary surgeon to the Royal Depot of Stallions at 
Laugonnet, who had been engaged on the subject, published an 
interesting notice on the operation, under the patronage of M. 
Ephrem Houel, director of the stud. 
The Alfort School, in one of its Compte-rendus , certainly an- 
nounces that some experiments have been made on the castration 
of the cow, but adds no detail. Some veterinary authors have 
also made mention of the fact in their works as matter of history ; 
and their opinion, generally speaking, is in favour of the operation. 
It would appear that this operation, although long ago performed 
in Germany and England, and some other European countries, with 
the intention of increasing the disposition of cows and heifers to 
grow fat, has been scarcely practised with the view of pro- 
longing the period of lactation, and as yet has excited but little 
attention in France. Therefore a great deal remains to be done 
to complete the trial of it, and furnish us with something like con- 
clusory information. 
This task I have undertaken. May my efforts be crowned with 
success, and serve to demonstrate the practical utility of such an 
operation in large towns and their suburbs, and even in the country, 
in all suitable cases! 
Experiment I, April 1845. — The first subject operated on by 
me — of which our honourable president, M. Doctor Lindouzy, who 
was present, has given an account — was the property of my father, 
who felt desirous to lend me assistance in my first trials, by giving 
me up one of his own cows. She was about eighteen years old, 
gave but little milk, and was in poor condition. 
The operation succeeded beyond my expectations. No great deal 
of suffering was felt, and a few days afterwards she gave her usual 
quantity of milk; and this continued for the space of fifteen months, 
at the expiration of which the cow was sold to the butcher, in 
satisfactory condition, considering that after the operation she had 
nothing more to eat beyond what was allowed her before. The 
butcher expressed his surprise at the quantity and quality of the 
fat found on opening her. One circumstance it is essential to 
mention, and that is, that the milk became of better quality : per- 
sons who had used it at the house found it more palatable after the 
operation. 
Experiment II. — In the month of July following I was called by 
M. Bossiaux, of Cernay-les-Rheims, to attend a cow labouring un- 
der, in the highest degree, prolapsus vagince ; an affection which 
proves so hurtful to the lacteal secretion, to fattening, and even 
