62 
G. BAILEY. 
CASTRATION OF THE STALLION AND CRYPTORCHIDE, WITH 
AND WITHOUT RESTRAINT, 
By G. Bailey, D.V.S. 
(Continued from page 13 .) 
Castration by ligature is now but very little practiced, although 
the operation is so well adapted for man that no other is ever 
employed in any malignant disease affecting the testicle, or hyper¬ 
trophy, when from its size it becomes a burden and annoyance. 
The most crude and commonplace employment of ligature is 
to encompass the entire cord, and its envelopes, with a “ waxed 
string,” and then detach the testicle with the knife. The sequel 
often proves, however, that the ligature has not been drawn tight 
enough to slough off that portion below the string, which leaves a 
nucleus for a fungous enlargement at the lower extremity of the 
cord, known as champignon, and sometimes extending as high up 
or even beyond the abdominal riug, when it takes the name of 
scirrhous of the cord. In every instance where I have yet been 
called upon to operate for champignon, and could trace the 
method employed in the castration of the animal, it has proved 
to be by ligature. 
A much more scientific use of the ligature, if it is to be em¬ 
ployed at all, would be to divide the vas deferens, and then ex¬ 
pose the artery, which will be found pursuing its tortuous course 
along the posterior portion of the cord, the artery alone to be 
securely tied with silk, or, better still, with catgut ligature; and 
while ligature of the artery would seem to be the most surgical 
and humane, experience has proved that it is one of the most un¬ 
successful of all methods. The late Professor Dick recommended 
the ligature for a number of years; but towards the end of his 
life he was forced to acknowledge, and frankly did so, that it 
was attended with frequent fatal results, the very presence of the 
ligature seemingly inducing a prejudicial effect, irritating the 
cord and causing peritonitis or abscesses. Torsion is held in high 
esteem by many eminent practitioners as the most reliable and 
humane, the cord quickly giving way under the slow and steady 
