CASTRATION. 
285 
CASTRATION. 
By W. E. B. Miller, D.V.S. 
A paper read before the Pennsylvania State Veterinary Medical Association. 
( Concluded.) 
One of the ridglings was badly ruptured and I will later on 
refer to him. Hence the ratio of mortality has been close to 
1 2 '5 % °f this number. Twenty-one were ruptured on one or 
both sides, twenty-four were operated on for scirrhous cords, 
following some other man’s work on operation. In most cases 
the hernias were either known of or diagnosed before the oper¬ 
ation, but in some not so, and not until it was revealed by the 
protrusion of the intestine through the opening in the scrotum. 
In every case wherein the rupture was known or diagnosed, 
and in all operations for the scirrhous cord, the animal was 
cast, as in the operations on ridglings. The record of deaths 
occurring during this period, is as follows: Asher Applegate, 
of Smithville, N. J., owned bay stallion three years old, cas¬ 
trated June 15, 1883; insisted upon havin g the animal cast, 
which was done when the operation was completed, and the 
animal let up, he at once became very restless and immediately 
broke out in a profuse perspiration and seemed much depressed. 
I could see no immediate cause, so I left him and went to a 
neighboring farm and operated on a three-weeks-old colt. Be¬ 
fore I was through the son of the owner of the other horse 
came running over and said his patient was bleeding from both 
wounds and was very weak. I hastened back to the place and 
was just in time to see the animal fall down, when in a few 
minutes he died. I at once made a post-mortem examination, 
and on opening the abdominal cavity, was surprised to find it 
almost entirely filled with blood; on investigating the cause I 
discovered a large tumor in the lumbar region, involving and 
pressing down the posterior aorta to a considerable extent. 
Just behind the tumor was a large longitudinal rupture of the 
walls of the blood-vessel, through which all the blood had es- 
