608 
NOVEL MODE OF CASTRATION. 
and fore fingers ; by so doing, the spermatic artery is somewhat 
elevated ; now press the finger through the fascia, immediately 
underneath the artery, and divide all below with a scalpel, leaving 
little or nothing but the artery remaining : afterwards take hold of 
the testicle, and with a large knife, with a slightly roughened edge 
(common post-mortem or table knife), scrape through the artery, 
turning the edge of the knife (as the horse lies) downwards, and 
slightly inclined towards the belly. The movement of the knife 
must be rapid, and about four backward and forward motions will 
do. Give then a dash of cold water, and lead the horse to a stall 
well littered. Sometimes a few drops of blood fall for about half 
an hour, seldom longer. Keep the animal quiet ; give him his 
grass or hay, and half a feed of corn ; maintain him standing the 
first day, but let him lie down the next; exercise half an hour 
morning and evening ; gradually increase feed and exercise. 
A system somewhat similar was introduced by Mr. Jennings, 
late Y.S. of Artillery, who, whilst at the Cape on leave, saw it 
performed on colts by a farmer. But the manner in which he saw 
it done, and afterwards practised it, was scraping through the whole 
cord: this, I need not say, is a disgusting and fearfully tiresome 
operation, especially in old horses ; for when you get half-way 
through the cord you cut a little, and just in the w’rong place, it 
being impossible to see the artery, and then you have the blood 
spirting in your eyes the remainder of the time. Mr. Western, 
Y.S. of the Body Guard, was of the same opinion as myself. I 
was, nevertheless, struck by the manner in which those horses 
I operated upon recovered, shewing little or no pain, leaving the 
“ sick lines” cured, and in as good condition as when they entered ; 
so I tried it on my present plan, and with complete success. The 
operation takes me from one minute to one and a-half, from the 
time I make the first incision to the horse being on his legs again. 
Of course, with adhesion of the vaginal covering it takes longer. 
I have castrated on my new plan 270 horses in my own regiment, 
about fifteen daily, and every horse has done well. Ten by caustic 
clams; two by firing (one died); two by ligature (one died); and 
six by torsion, altogether 290; and besides my own regiment about 
twenty in the Artillery, on my “ scraping method,” and every case 
successful. Messrs. Crundall, Crowley, and Field (gentlemen who 
have been doing duty with me) can all perform the operation 
equally as well as myself, and are delighted with its simplicity and 
cleanliness; for you need hardly soil your fingers. I think gelding 
must be a safer business in India than at home ; for our old horses 
do quite as well as the young. I have cut some eighteen years of 
age, thirteen of which have been passed in hard regimental duty. 
Of the 300 above alluded to, most were aged : thirty-six averaged 
