ASEPTIC CASTRATION OF MALE ANIMALS. 
255 
terial infection ; for tetanus has been proved to be due to a 
specific micro-organism, the baccilus tetani, as also has glanders 
to the B. mallei. Champignon or schirrous cord, or fistula of 
the scrotum, has been found to be due to infection with botry- 
omyces (5), though it has not been proven that all of these 
cases are due to infection with this specific micro-organism. 
The other sequelae may be produced by a number of the 
pathogenic bacteria, which are pus producers, or are capable of 
producing septicaemia ; bacterial infection is the danger to be 
feared in the operation and it is only to this that the bad results 
and fatalities can be traced. If we can carry on the operation 
without this infection, we have removed this danger, be it much 
or little. 
The question arises, how can we prevent this infection ? 
The majority of the veterinarians of the present day try to per¬ 
form the operation under more or less complete antiseptic pre¬ 
cautions, but after the operation is completed, even provided 
there has been no infection during this time, the wound is left 
open, and in all the methods, except the covered operation, 
there is a direct opening into the peritoneal cavity. Even in 
the covered operation, there is left the open scrotal wound. . 
These wounds always become infected to a greater or lesser 
degree, but those where there is an opening into the peritoneal 
cavity are the more dangerous. If, as in the majority of cases, 
the infection is slight, we have a correspondingly slight dis¬ 
charge of whitish creamy inoffensive pus, which some writers 
have called laudable pus, but which with our present knowledge 
of bacteriology cannot be recognized as such, for, clinically, we 
do not get pus formation without infection, and certainly infec¬ 
tion is not laudable. 
In these cases, there is usually healing by the granulation 
process, while if we get a virulent infection, we have what has 
been called the abnormal results of castration, as peritonitis, 
abscess of the scrotum, gangrene ; or, if the infection is due to 
specific micro-organisms, tetanus, glanders or champignon, and 
the correspondingly bad results. 
