104 MEMOIR ON THE CASTRATION OF THE HORSE. 
terity ; afterwards the organ is turned right again and made to 
ascend. The other testicle is treated in the same manner, and a 
ligature is placed around the scrotum to retain them both in their 
places. All which sometimes becomes very difficult, very painful, 
and very tedious to accomplish. 
The difficulty of the manual operation is, in limine , an insur- 
mountable obstacle to teaching the practice of bistournage in the 
veterinary schools; and, besides, it is a procedure fruitful in ac- 
cidents. The operator runs great risk at first of losing his patient. 
Bistournage is exceedingly painful. Almost immediately after the 
operation the horse is tormented by insufferable cholic. Some- 
times he squats upon his quarters. For a day or two he is a 
prey to vehement suffering. His convulsive throes may produce 
untwisting of the cord and the fall of the ligature before swelling 
has come on, and so render the operation ineffective. 
Violent manipulation of the scrotum, cellular tissue, testicle, and 
cord, causes great and painful swelling; the oedema extending 
under the belly even to the breast. 
The other consecutive accidents are, paraphymosis, tetanus , sar- 
cocele, hydrocele , sloughing of the scrotum occasioned by the liga- 
ture being drawn too tight, sloughing even of the testicle itself, as 
the consequence of a tardy suppurative action, induced by the de- 
struction of the testicle, or by the complete or partial laceration of 
the cord. 
Sometimes the atrophy of one or both testicles proves incom- 
plete, leaving the animal afterwards the same in appearance as 
though he had been still a stone-horse. This result takes with 
breeders, and leads them to prefer bistournage to any other ope- 
ration. 
For two months after bistournage, locomotion remains incom- 
moded ; indeed, sometimes the paces are affected by it for a whole 
year. 
In the bull, bistournage is not attended with such adverse effects. 
He is a less irritable subject; his testicles are naturally ovoid, and 
the cord is long; which renders the operation easier and more 
promptly performable. Five minutes will suffice to bistournage a 
bull; twenty will be required for the operation on the horse. Just 
so much as bistournage is suited for the bull, just so much is it 
unsuited for the horse. 
To sum up generally : — 
1. As a principle, colts ought to be cut while at their dams’ 
side. This constitutes the rule. 
2. The presence of hernia, or the absence of the testicles, should 
postpone the operation. This constitutes the exception. 
3. The adoption of castration at the earliest practicable period 
