1 ' 
640 ON THE EARLY CASTRATION OF THE COLT. 
The remainder of this memoir is occupied by a history of the 
application of “ Veau-de-RaheV' in several cases of open-joint, and 
its success in all except one. 
[The above is translated from the leading French journal, “ Recueil 
de Medicine Veterinaire Pratique” for August, and, in con¬ 
nexion with the discussion on Open Joints, related in the present 
number of The VETERINARIAN, may not be altogether uninte¬ 
resting. The valuable Essay of M. Bouley, on Rheumatismal 
Inflammation of the Synovial Membrane of the Sessamoid Bones, 
will here also find an appropriate place.—Y.] 
ON THE EARLY CASTRATION OF THE COLT. 
Sir,— Amongst the numerous books which the establishment of 
our Farmers’ Club has given me the opportunity of perusing, there 
are few I read with more pleasure than that excellent periodical 
The Veterinarian. 
Among so large a body of subscribers, I cannot always see it 
so early as I could wish, and this accounts for my writing to you 
now on a subject that engaged the attention of the Veterinary 
Medical Association several months ago. I allude to the new method 
of castration. I was pleased to find it advocated on the plea of its 
putting the colt to less pain than the old system ; and feeling as¬ 
sured that in this country it is a necessary operation, and, no 
doubt, although performed in the very best method, a painful one, 
it is a duty incumbent upon us to practise that plan which com¬ 
bines safety with the least punishment. With such feelings I make 
no apology for the following remarks:— 
Being a breeder both of cattle and sheep, although on a small 
scale, and having found the advantage of cutting both my calves 
and lambs very early, I suggested, six or seven years ago, to the 
highly respected veterinary surgeon of this town, Mr. Rolfe, that 
it would be desirable to castrate colts before thev were weaned, 
and inquired whether he had ever done so. On his replying in 
the negative, I requested him to try first on a foal of my own, 
then about six months old, and which had not been taken from its 
dam. The colt was cast and cut in the usual way, and on the 
same day was playing about as usual, with no swelling nor appa¬ 
rently ailing any thing, nor was there the slightest check given to 
its growth or blooming appearance. 
The same mare had another colt foal on the following year, and, 
wishing to know whether the testicle could be found at an early 
