ETIOLOGY OF SCIRRHOUS CORD. ETC. 
253 
parts of one scirrlius cord to such prominent pathologists as Prof. 
Dr. JRobert Koch, of Berlin ; Prof. Ferdinand Cohn, of Breslau; 
Dr. Zimmerman, of Chemnitz; Dr. Huppe, of Weisbaden, and 
Prof. Dr. De Bary, of Strasburg, for examination, and in their 
conclusions these eminent men differ, some having failed to find 
the suspected organism. 
I have several German authors on veterinary surgery in my 
possession, whose views on the above named subjects are substan¬ 
tially the same as those advanced by Prof. Williams. 
Farmer Miles, the world-renowned castrator, in an answer to 
a letter from me, as to what caused the difficulties, attributes th 
cause to “ improper surgery.” 
Having made the castration of cryptorchids a specialty dur¬ 
ing the summers of 1884-5, an occupation which brought me 
over an area of several States, I consequently came in contact 
with a great many veterinary surgeons and gelders, and was often 
asked to give my opinion as to what caused the difficulties. I 
would enumerate the probable causes, such as I had been taught, 
and the disapproval with which these theories were ofteu met 
convinced me that the real cause was yet in obscurity. 
That the trouble was not caused by the caustic clams I was 
convinced of in the State of Virginia, where innumerable colts 
are castrated annually with them, and are turned out to pasture 
as soon as the operation has been performed. The clams are al¬ 
lowed to remain on until they slough off, and from careful obser¬ 
vation I am satisfied that the colts thus neglected are not any 
more prone to the affection than those that are well cared for, 
and 1 believe the theory is a mere supposition of the authors who 
have advanced it, and not a fact that has been substantiated by 
experiment or careful investigation. 
As to whether or not the difficulties are caused by the actual 
cautery, I cannot say, as that barbarous method of castration is 
not practiced in the United States, to my knowledge. 
As to the affections being caused by an organism, I can 
neither affirm nor deny, as I received the information too late in 
the season to make an investigation; but I do believe that if an 
organism does exist, it is only secondary. 
