958 
NEWS AND ITEMS. 
extracts made with acetic acid for over three years, and they 
have given me very satisfactory results, and are anywhere from 
40 to 60 per cent, cheaper than the alcoholic extracts. I would 
very strongly advise those who have not used them to give 
them a trial. I make this statement because I have lately re¬ 
turned from a visit among a great number of veterinarians in 
different States, and I failed to find a man using them. I cannot 
speak too strongly of the satisfaction I have had with them, 
not only from economy but for their purity and uniform 
strength. I have given them a good test, and highly recom¬ 
mend them.” 
Two Cases of Twist. —Robert W. Clarke, M. R. C. V. S., 
in the Veterinary Record , records two cases of torsion of the 
large colon, which, after giving rise to manifestations of colic, 
ended fatally. In the first the post-mortem revealed the follow¬ 
ing lesions : “ A twist of the double colon, about two feet of the 
anterior portion being twisted over from left to right sufficiently 
to have caused stoppage of the passage of ingesta, there being 
little or no discoloration of the bowel. That part of the colon 
anterior (so far as the passage of the contents is concerned, al¬ 
though posterior in position) to the twist was tightly packed 
with a mass of dry ingesta, as also was the caecum, but the 
bowels posterior to the twist were comparatively empty. The 
colon immediately anterior to the twist was ruptured by the 
pressure of the contents. That was evidently the cause of 
death.” In the second case the post-mortem showed a twist in 
the same position, but the bowel was twisted from right to left. 
Methods of Castration. —A correspondent of the Breed¬ 
er's Gazette says : “The most successful method of castrating 
bulls is to take them when young—before they get to their feet, 
and while helpless if you find them at that age. But young 
and old treat them all alike. After a calf has reached from four 
to six months, tie him firmly by the head. Have an assistant to 
hold him firmly by the tail. Stand behind the calf, and, seizing 
the end of the scrotum, with a sharp knife cut one-third of the 
length of the scrotum off. The testicles will then hang in 
‘ striffen ’ so you may take one at a time between thumb and 
finger and pull down until you can catch it with both hands 
and pull gently until you have drawn cord and ‘ striffen ’ all 
out, leaving nothing to clog nor stop the opening. Use a prep¬ 
aration made of one-half pint of lard, one-fourth pint of turpen¬ 
tine, and two tablespoonfuls of salt. Mix well ; take on the 
fingers a spoonful of the mixture and insert in the cavity, rub- 
