CASTRATION OF CRYPTORCHIDS. 
245 
and the opening of the inguinal canal is exposed. If the tes¬ 
ticle is not found, the muscular tissue of the abdominal wall, 
on a level with the point of the operation, is lacerated with 
the fingers of the right hand, and the peritoneum torn by a 
sudden push of the extremity of the first finger, the passage 
thus made being as small as possible. 
“ If the fingers fail to detect the testicle, the whole hand 
is introduced and the organ brought through the wound, and 
the cord is secured with a caustic clamp. The wound is then 
sutured in front of and behind the clamp. After twenty-four 
hours, the clamp is removed and the cord left free. Cicatri¬ 
zation of the wound is assisted in order to prevent any pro¬ 
trusion of the intestines. The operation is performed under 
the influence of chloroform, and is accompanied by the most 
thorough and rigid antiseptic measures. After the operation 
the wound is constantly irrigated with cold water.” More 
recently Ostertag writes as follows: 
“ In occidental Frisia castration of cryptorchids is done by 
empirics; few veterinarians care to do it. The first idea of 
the author was to operate in the manner of Nielsen. In 1887- 
he operated on a four-year-old horse. By rectal exploration 
the testicle could be felt floating freely in the abdomen. The 
operation was quite easy, the assistance of a colleague being 
secured, who through the rectum kept pushing the testicle 
through the wound. The organ was fixed to the lumbar re¬ 
gion by a short peduncle just long enough to allow the testi¬ 
cle to be brought outside the wound, and to have a clamp 
applied. The method of Nielsen was followed to the letter, 
and the wound irrigated with cold water for three hours. 
Violent colics followed, and after twenty-four hours the 
symptoms were such that death seemed to be imminent. The 
clamp was then removed, and the wound still irrigated. On 
the sixth day the condition of the patient was very bad, re¬ 
peated injections of morphine giving but little relief. The 
animal was much depressed, and there was an extensive swell¬ 
ing from the pubis to the sternum. On the tenth day condi¬ 
tion was better, but hernia of the intestine appeared. After 
disinfection the hernia was reduced, and no further compli- 
