DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY. 
701 
etc. This opinion is absolutely wrong. The human physician 
does not find it below his pride to extract a tooth occasionally, 
because some barber or blacksmith in his town pulls teeth also ; 
nor does he refuse his services in obstetrical cases, because 
some midwife could have done just as well. It is impossible 
to see why the castration of pigs, cattle, etc., should lower the 
veterinarian’s standard, if the operation is performed scientifi¬ 
cally, even if some stockman or the so-called castrators do the 
same operation. There is no veterinary operation which could 
in any way lower or damage the veterinary profession. A vet¬ 
erinarian must be able to do anything that can be expected of 
him as a veterinarian ; and, it is to be hoped that the time is 
not far when only graduate veterinarians will be allowed to 
practice castration. This would not only tend to drive out of 
business many a quack and incompetent castrator, but would 
also contribute to the elevation of the profession.— [Dr. P. 
Bruecher , Berlin Vet. Weekly , Translated by J. W. Schu¬ 
macher.) 
The easiest method of locating the cut end of blood vessels 
is by blowing the blood away from them. This can be done 
by directing a current of air into the wound either from a 
pressure bottle or by the use of a common blow pipe. From an 
aseptic point of view the former is preferable ; yet, we have 
never been able to attribute wound infection solely to the latter. 
The careful surgeon always arrests capillary haemorrhage by 
irrigation, which washes away all septic products that might be 
directed to the wound by the current of exhaled air. Many of 
the arteries and arterioles cut in veterinary surgery are difficult 
to locate on account of the constant oozing of blood which ob 
scares them before they can be secured, after removing the 
sponge from the wound sufficiently not to obstruct the view of 
the operator; but, with a carefully directed current of air the 
blood can be cleared from the wound without obstructing the 
view. With a carefully and properly directed current, there 
will be but little splashing or splattering of blood ; the blood 
vessels can easily be secured, and haemorrhage arrested either 
by torsion or ligation.—( E. M.) 
Nymphomania , Originating from an Abnormal Clitoris in a 
Cow. Reported by M. Chapelies , Veterinarian , of Houdan .—A 
cow, three and one-half years of age, became a nymphomaniac 
shortly after parturition. The owner’s attention had been 
drawn to the enlargement of the clitoris, and the extreme sensi¬ 
tiveness of the animal, caused by the least touch of the vulva. 
