216 
AMERICAN VETERINARY COLLEGE. 
AMERICAN VETERINARY COLLEGE. 
HOSPITAL DEPARTMENT. 
HAEMORRHAGE AND SEPTICAEMIA AS COMPLICATIONS OF CAS¬ 
TRATION. 
By Julius Huelsen, Jr., D.Y.S., House Surgeon. 
In considering the complications of castration, prolonged 
haemorrhage and septicaemia are perhaps not as common as others, 
and the following peculiar case is therefore worthy of notice: 
A valuable sorrel racing colt, four years of age, 15^ hands 
high, was cast for operation at 8 o’clock a.m., June 7, 1887, after 
due preparation as to feeding and administration of anaesthetic 
in the shape of 3 vii. chlor. hydr. The method of operation was 
that of limited torsion, the instruments employed being those of 
twisting forceps, which have had frequent successful use at the 
hospital. The posterior septum of the cord with the efferent 
canal and small testicular artery were first divided by scalpel, as 
usual, and the cord then amputated without any more than the 
ordinary struggles of the animal, after about fifteen turns of the 
torsion forceps. 
In this case, however, the twisting of the artery seemed to 
have had no effect, for haemorrhage in a small stream at once 
commenced from the right side; but as this must soon naturally 
close by coagulation, there was no occasion for alarm, and the 
patient was placed in the stall for observation. 
At 10 o’clock a.m. blood was still noticed to flow, in a quick 
succession of drops, and a cold-water douche was applied for a 
time to the parts until there was an apparent stoppage, but only 
temporarily, and the cold water showers were continued during 
the day four or five times. 
A pad of oakum, saturated with a weak solution of tinct. of 
chlor. of iron, was applied in the evening externally to the sheath ; 
then, later, a packing of ice, supported by a bandage. Recourse 
was then had to tents of oakum saturated with the solution of 
iron, introduced into the wound (secured by suture), which was 
found almost filled with clotj but all of no avail. 
