ON CASTRATION. 
443 
Thirty years ago I saw it performed in a cruel and painful 
manner, and which I regret to say is not abolished at the 
present day, by tugging at the spermatic cord, after the tes¬ 
ticle had been exposed, with a pair of tongs or clams—more 
like the ancient instrument of torture, the barnacles—and an 
iron reeking hot from an adjacent fire, used to sever it above 
the epididymis, and sometimes through a portion of it, with 
the fallacious idea of imparting courage to the animal. Then 
came the usual adjuncts of resin and melted lard, until an 
eschar had been produced over the blood-vessels. 
I must candidly admit that I practised the same, but in a 
modified form, for some time. 
The caustic-clams were favorite instruments with many, 
and are so now; but they entail an extra amount of labour 
upon the operator, and give a great deal of unnecessary pain to 
the patient; first, by their application, then removing, as 
some do, the testicles six hours afterwards, and the following 
morning the clams, thus making three operations where one 
would suffice, and forgetting the continuous pain the animal 
is suffering from the bearing down of the clams. 
I have frequently witnessed the operation, but never prac¬ 
tised it. 
Castration by torsion was introduced to my notice by a 
gentleman who holds an important and deserving position in 
the profession, and I practised the same, with varied re¬ 
sults, for some years; in fact, I made a communication in the 
shape of an essay on the subject, which was read before the 
Veterinary Medical Association. 
I always entertained an idea of simplicity in all necessary 
operations, bearing in mind that I had an animal under my 
control who felt the same that I should myself under similar 
circumstances, and that I had no right to exercise any un¬ 
usual degree of cruelty. I have therefore abandoned all my 
past modes and instruments, except a scalpel, and determined 
to operate in the more scientific way by ligature, which I have 
followed with success for many years, thus rendering the 
operation simple, and devoid of that brutal appearance which 
some of the other methods present. 
My modus ojoerandi has been to expose the testicle, and 
grasp it with my left hand, passing my forefinger through 
the cellular tissue connecting the vas deferens and the blood¬ 
vessels, then divide the vas deferens above the epididymis, 
when the testicle will lie flaccid, or it may be supported by 
an assistant; for by these means you have disposed of the an¬ 
tagonistic influence of the cremaster, endeavouring to retract 
it; and should the animal struggle, there is no necessity for 
