THE SPAYING (OR CASTRATION) OF MILCH COWS. 275 
At length the operation reached France, and to come, without 
further prefatory remark, to M. Charlier, its espouser and promoter, 
we may say he has, at the sacrifice of his peace of mind, his repose, 
and his humble fortune, exerted every effort in the demonstration 
of its utility and promulgation throughout his country ; and for 
his exertions has, among other acknowledgments, received the silver 
medal of the academy of his own city, Rheims. In a word, the 
cause involving the spaying of milch cows is gained. 
M. Renault, the director of the Alfort Veterinary College, says 
of the operation — “ Providing the results of the fresh trials about 
to be made come to confirm those already obtained, they will open 
a fresh field of productiveness and profit to agriculture.” Anon, 
we shall shew that such expectations are no longer conditional. 
M. Bouley, Professor at the Alfort Veterinary College, and 
Chief Editor of the Receuil de Med. Vet., has said — “ Notwith- 
standing the numbers of experiments already instituted to demon- 
strate the advantages of spaying milch cows, this operation is known 
or practised but in few parts of France. And at this we are not 
to feel surprised. In such a matter as this, what becomes neces- 
sary to enforce conviction is not recommendation, but example, 
perseveringly kept in view for a series of years ; demonstrating at 
once the harmlessness and advantages of this new method of ren- 
dering cows more useful as well for the production of milk as of 
meat.” 
“It is to be regretted that, published as this operation has now 
been for twenty years, the prosecution and appreciation of it have 
been left in the hands of isolated experimenters. The results of 
their labours, notwithstanding the knowledge and good faith of the 
labourers, cannot impress the mind of the public like experiments 
zealously carried out under the direction of superior powers, with 
the impartiality and disinterestedness such administration is alone 
capable of,” &c. &c. 
To queries and doubts such as these the best replies will be, the 
several answers given to the questions of a committee appointed 
by the Rheims Academy to investigate the matter, and to take 
sufficient time — which would necessarily be of some length — in 
doing so. To the question put by the committee — 
1st. Is the spaying of cows a dangerous operation 1 
The answer is — This operation in itself involves no more danger 
than many others of as bold a character (as puncture of the ru- 
men), which are performed without accident by men even strangers 
to the veterinary art. Two minutes suffice for extraction of the 
ovaries; two minutes more for suturing the wounds. 
2dly. Will not the spaying of cows put an end to the production 
of the spfccies 1 
