REMARKS ON CASTRATION. 
503 
lamenesses in man, when all otherknown remedies havefailed,I 
am not about to advocate the use of the actual cautery, nor 
to condemn it, but at another time, perhaps, I may feel dis¬ 
posed to make a few remarks upon this plan of operating. 
To proceed. When I have a colt to castrate, I secure only 
three of his legs, and since I have adopted this plan, and it 
is ever since I abandoned the use of the clams, I have never 
had an untoward symptom. In the first place, if an animal 
is cast and secured in the ordinary way b}- fettering the four 
feet, the back is arched, and when so, it becomes something 
similar to a piece of bent stick, which the least thing will 
cause to snap. It will bear more pressure, more weight, or 
more violence when perfectly straight, than it will when it is 
bent, and I believe it is the same with the back of a horse. 
Observe, if only for a moment, the struggles of an animal 
when down, with all the legs secured, and compare it with 
one which has three only. The zmfettered leg is the only 
one which he now uses to disengage himself, and I believe 
it is this which will account for my success of late, in per¬ 
forming the operation. But to the operation itself. I employ 
a ligature as recommended to me by Professor Spooner; but 
I have found it necessary, or rather I should say advisable, 
also to use a heated iron, as it causes inflammation quicker, 
and consequently a swelling of the parts. As to the applica¬ 
tion of unguents and all allied agents, I abandon all of them, 
contenting myself with the use of water only. With reference 
to the use of a pair of curved scissors in the operation, I can 
speak with confidence, having frequently employed them 
when I have met with a very obstreperous patient. 
As there are, in my opinion, several objections to the use 
of caustic clams, I will take the liberty of mentioning them,> 
The first is, that of the operator being obliged to fetter all 
four feet. As a general rule this must be done when an 
animal is thrown for other operations, but then the risks or 
hazards are fewer in number; so far, therefore, it is an advan¬ 
tage. The second objection is, th$t of placing the animal 
upon his back, for in this position he has a greater power to 
struggle than he has when lying upon his side. The third is 
the difficulty experienced in drawing the testicle down to its 
proper position. The fourth is the immense suffering the 
animal undergoes for at least six hours afterwards; added to 
which is the loss of the services of a man for other purposes, 
as he must be in attendance upon the patient, and often 
during the entire night. The fifth and last objection is the 
annoyance of having to remove the testicles and clams upon 
a subsequent occasion. 
