HERNIA AND CASTRATION IN INDIA. 243 
horses, and I know of no way of preventing hernia. I have 
also castrated horses that I know have been ruptured several 
times; and, though I would rather not have done it, I was 
obliged to go on : nevertheless, no untoward symptoms mani¬ 
fested themselves, while with others in perfect health I have 
had fatal hernia. 
Pray notice this, as such a paragraph in your book, with the 
authority of your name, might lead non-professional people to 
blame the operator, though no blame really attached to him. 
I will mention two cases that had been ruptured several 
times. 
F troop, 1298, 8 off, castrated 10th April. Discharged, well, 
25th. 
F troop, 1521, 7 off, castrated 10th April. Discharged, well, 
12th May. 
These were two horses of a troop the whole of which were 
ordered to be castrated, they being in perfect health at the 
time. I operated, and they got well, without any trouble. 
Many of these had been ruptured prior to the operation, and 
a few became so during, or soon after it. Some horses, on 
being taken to their stalls, will stand and strain violently; * 
others will kick violently; and many of both kinds terminate 
in hernia. 
Hernia is very common in [ndia, and, if discovered at once, 
may be easily reduced. The symptoms cannot be mistaken. 
The horse is seldom violent. If forced to stand, he paws the 
ground, his head hangs down, he looks at his flank, and appears 
subdued, as if by constant, dull, wearing pain. One symptom 
I do not think you have noticed, which is, that the testicle, or 
rather the affected side of the scrotal bag, is cold; this is, I 
think, invariable. Being satisfied of the presence of hernia, I 
allow the animal to lie down, which he will generally do; the 
hobbles are then put on, and all four legs are drawn upwards to 
pullies fastened to the beams near the roof. He is now fixed ; 
and the hernia is almost always easily returned by a little 
manipulation, it frequently going back with a snap. Cold 
water is freely poured upon the parts during the employment of 
the taxis. 
Should the reduction, however, prove obstinate, it is ad¬ 
visable to open the scrotum. This I always do as high up the 
side of the cord as I conveniently can ; this rendering it easier 
to get at the ring. Return the intestine, place a clam on the 
cord, and remove the gland. The horse is now allowed to get 
up, and is kept standing with the hind feet elevated, and the 
fore in a hole, so as to remove, as much as possible, all tendency 
to pressure from the ring. In these cases, I almost invariably 
