ON THE CASTRATION OF THE COW. 
399 
refuse of their kind. Three or four only were operated on in a 
condition at all such as was desired, and the short time that has 
elapsed since the operation, together with the circumstances in 
which they are placed at the present time, does not permit us to 
pronounce judgment so certain in favour of the operation. 
Nevertheless, turn out as it may, we have constantly obtained 
from all the cows we have operated on, the cow of Mr. Charlier 
excepted, 
1st. For the space of fifteen months at least, a quantity of milk 
equal to that given at the time of operation. 
2dly. A milk richer in cream, more agreeable flavour, and in 
quantity equal to that given at the time of operation. 
3dly. Marked increase of flesh, followed by fattening, without 
any change of food, a result by which the value of the cows has 
been raised from a quarter to a third, and even a half more than 
they were worth before the operation. 
But, to our own experience let us add that of our predecessors, 
who were more fortunate than ourselves in the choice and number 
of their subjects. 
We read in the Journal of Useful Knowledge for March 
1833, that an American traveller, who had occasion to visit Mr. 
Hiron, a man in much esteem and consideration at Natchez, learnt 
that the first cow on whom the experiment had been tried reco- 
vered in a few days, and soon gave her ordinary quantity of milk, 
and so continued for several years, without any interruption or 
diminution of quantity, unless at such times as her food was scanty 
or altogether dry. A second cow operated on by Mr. Hiron exhi- 
bited the same success. These two cows lost their lives acci- 
dentally. Two others that had been operated on three years were 
in the best health and condition possible ; they were giving, and 
had been giving constantly ever since, the same quantity of milk 
as before castration. 
M. LEVRAT, after four years’ experience, reports (in the Recueil 
de Medecine Vcttrinaire for 1838) a series of experiments well 
founded on the effects produced by castration on the cow, as well 
in regard to the health of the animals as to their production of 
milk and fat. We will now give the conclusions drawn from this 
interesting passage : — 
“ The castration of cows appears to me to have the effect of 
producing a more abundant and constant secretion of milk, which at 
the same time acquires superior qualities, tending to these advan- 
tages to the cow-keeper ; viz. 
“ 1. Augmentation by one-third of the yield of milk. 
“ 2. The certainty of having almost for a constancy an equal 
quantity of milk. 
