CASTRATION OF SOLIPEDS. 
4S3 
have the acquaintance of some veternarians who have received 
“ sealed instructions ” from him ; and they one and all throw 
a cloud of mystery round the operation, as though there was 
some secret about it not known to our teachers. I believe 
that I have solved their cipher, and that their mountain 
of quackery having conceived has brought forth just this little 
mouse— i. e.; Ninety per cent, of so-called ridgling horses are 
nothing but close colts, having the testicle and cord (or some 
part of them) somewhere between the upper and lower 
ring. Now all that is needed to enable a man to operate suc¬ 
cessfully in these cases is to remember the course of the 
inguinal canal and follow it. What do you find? Some¬ 
times a fair-sized testicle presenting naturally ; more often 
a funnel-shaped tunica vaginalis, the cord doubled on itself 
and occupying the apex of the funnel, the testicle (very 
small) laying at or above the upper ring. Cut through 
the tunic, hook a finger round the cord, make gentle traction 
on it and the testicle comes down. In the classic language 
of Mr. Miles, “the child is born and its name is Moses.” 
Now don’t let me leave you with the impression that you will 
have no troubles, encounter no difficulties—you will; but 
there are few cases which a cool head, a steady hand and a 
determined purpose will fail to conquer. 
You may have true ectopia of the testicle, then it will be 
largely a matter of blind groping. I have seen a case in a 
boar where the testicle occupied the femoral canal, another 
where it was attached to the sublumbar region, and I may 
mention in passing that I have seen three cases where the 
ovaries in the sow occupied the same region where we find 
the testicles of the boar. I have twice utterly failed in the 
attempt to castrate ridglings; perhaps some one else might 
have succeeded. What shall we do with the cases of abdom¬ 
inal cryptorchidy ? 
Unless the patient is unmanageable on account of his con¬ 
dition, I think the best advice to give the owner is to let some 
other fellow have him, as I cannot regard rupturing the up¬ 
per ring as complacently as do some people. It is dangerous, 
and a brilliant operation does not compensate the owner for 
