AMERICAN VETERINARY COLLEGE. 
217 
The blood, on examination, was found normal in color, and 
coagulated freely. What was the cause of this obstinate haemor¬ 
rhage could only be surmised. Was this method of castration by 
the process of torsion to be blamed—the coats of the artery not 
being properly twisted ? but, even in this case, the flow should 
cease by natural coagulation with the agents used as haemostatics; 
or was there a diseased condition of the artery, a want of elastic¬ 
ity, that prevented coagulation taking effect ? or again, might it 
not be one of those peculiar cases of haemorrhagic diathesis met 
with sometimes in human subjects ? 
June 8th.—Although there was no actual cause for alarm, the 
haemorrhage being only in drops, about sixty per minute, the pa¬ 
tient w r as placed under observation all last night, and early this 
morning more radical measures were attempted. The animal 
was thrown, the tent of oakum and a clot of blood quite as large 
as a child’s bead, removed, and efforts made with a pair of long 
forceps to find and pick up the artery for the purpose of ligating, 
but this was found so far withdrawn in the canal that attempts 
were abandoned. The cavity was then filled with four large sur¬ 
gical sponges and two tents of oakum, secured by suture across 
the edges of the wound, and the animal placed in a box stall. 
During the rest of the day, ice packings were placed around the 
sheath, alternated with douches of ice water; but the steady flow, 
drop by drop, continued all day, especially noticeable when the 
animal moved or the parts were disturbed. The sheath now showed 
some swelling. Temperature during the day, 98.3°; pulse, 55 ; 
respiration somewhat accelerated; appetite good. The left 
wound seems all right. 
June 9th.—Cold water douches were continued at intervals of 
one hour each, all day, until the haemorrhage, which in the morn¬ 
ing oozed about 20 or 30 drops per minute, ceased altogether at 
4 o’clock p. m. Carbolic acid injections 'were used thereafter. 
Appetite fallen off somewhat, though eating clover with relish. 
Temperature, 102° ; pulse and respiration same as yesterday. 
June 10th.—This morning the sponges and oakum and a little 
clot, broken down and of very bad odor, were removed. Wound 
washed with ice-water stream and injection of carbolic solution 
