CASTRATION OF THE CRYPTORCHID. 
511 
ternal ring sufficiently large, and which may be diagnosed by 
the yielding character and also by the more or less defined 
hard connective tissue ring. In my first operation I had the 
opportunity of removing the organs by this method; in one 
case I succeeded in grasping the membrane which covered 
the ring and in drawing it out far enough to cut a small open¬ 
ing with the scissors ; the opening so made was enlarged by the 
fingers and by the aid of my other hand in the rectum I man¬ 
aged to effect the extirpation. The second method is more 
difficult and is more safe as regards hernia, because the open¬ 
ing is so high. The perforation of the obliquus interims in a 
direction parallel to the arrangement of its muscular fasciculi, 
is accomplished with less fatigue and from the close apposition 
of the sides of the wound the danger of hernia is reduced to 
a minimum ; therefore in my operations, recently, I have ap¬ 
plied this method. After being convinced that the tunica 
vaginalis is absent, and when the internal ring is so narrow 
that two fingers cannot be introduced therein, the internal 
oblique muscle is pierced during inspiration by the index and 
middle fingers. There is no occasion for hurry, and when pos¬ 
sible the digits are kept in the wound made, in order to di¬ 
minish the danger of infectious material from entering the 
abdominal cavity. On these grounds also the withdrawing of 
the fingers after perforating the peritoneum is to be avoided ; 
and moreover the wound is not always found afterward with¬ 
out trouble. 
4 . The seeking of the testicles or their appendages ; the 
first varies in size from a pigeon’s to hen’s egg ; it is flabby and 
distinguishable from hernia by its limitations ; the vas appears 
under the finger as a hard medium-sized twine string; the 
epididymus has a peculiar feel, some parts hard, some soft, in 
fact it is precisely the consistency of a normal and physiolo¬ 
gical super-testicular body. When the testes are pinched the 
animal evinces pain, even in narcosis. Whichever of these 
portions is at hand, it must be firmly grasped and drawn 
through the artificial (or natural) opening. 
Mostly the testicles are found laterally from the perfora¬ 
ted spot, and in the vicinity of the pubic border. The most 
