396 
ON 1 THE CASTRATION OF THE COW. 
her milk did not return to its ordinary quantity for from twenty- 
five to thirty days afterwards. 
It is worthy of remark that M. Guillotin, not having had recourse 
to the operation with the view of profit, but purely for experiment’s 
sake and to please me, made no selection of his subjects. His cows, 
of mediocre kind, gave but little milk, and were in bad condition. 
Nevertheless, he had reason to congratulate himself on having 
made such an experiment, of which he gave proof in ever afterwards 
keeping none but castrated cows. 
Experiments VI and VII. — Next came M. Bellencontre, an 
innkeeper, possessing cows at Dieu-Lumiere, who, having heard 
some persons at Paris speak of the advantages of this operation, 
and knowing the faith I put in it, felt desirous to have it tried, and 
sent me two cows for that purpose. 
From the morning of the operation both these cows fed and 
ruminated well, and their milk daily came more and more up to 
the ordinary quality. They appeared lively. In fact, every thing 
announced complete success ; when on the 26th of the month, nine 
days after the operation, one suddenly became unwell, refused all 
food, ceased to ruminate, and gave no milk. Puerpulent fever had 
set in. I felt lost in conjecture as to the cause, when I was sent 
for to the other cow, who likewise had been taken ill, and with the 
same symptoms as her companion. Blood-letting, vapour baths, 
dry and irritating frictions, emollient and laxative drinks, enemala, 
&c &c. ; nothing, however, could save the best cow of the two. 
The other, b)'care, was enabled to withstand the disease ; her milk 
gradually became of the same quality. Very lean as she was, this 
cow grew fat, although she had no more to eat than the others. 
At the end of about fifteen months, M. Bellencontre sold her at a 
good profit. But the first cow had died, and nothing further was 
wanting to arrest me in my experiments. M. Bellencontre himself, 
discouraged by his neighbours, durst not for a long time afterwards 
try any fresh experiments. 
Nevertheless, M. Bellencontre was convinced that the cause of 
the misfortune was unconnected with the experiment, and he hesi- 
tated not to declare this; and afterwards I felt assured of this my- 
self : for the very night of the operation a storm set in, and it was 
just afterwards, while it still rained and blew hard, that the cows 
were for the first time taken out to be watered at a place where 
they went in knee-deep, and drank as much as they chose. 
Experiment VIII. — On the 7th of May 1847, M. Haquart, cow- 
keeper at Rheims, notwithstanding what had happened to the cow 
of M. Bellencontre, with which he had been made acquainted, was 
desirous I should operate on one of his cows. 
The beast chosen was one that was frequently vertiginous, dif- 
