12 
CASTRATION OF THE STALLION. 
and, together with its satellite vein, finds its entrance into the 
vaginal sheath, through the internal abdominal ring, into which 
it passes with other constituent portions of the cord, in its de¬ 
scent to the testicle. The cremastrie artery, originating from 
near the external liac, also gains its entrance to the vaginal sheath 
and is distributed to various parts of the cord, so that we have 
two important sources of blood supply which are both severed by 
whatever process we amputate the testicle from the “ vasa effer- 
entia” and vascular cord. Of course the cord will break some¬ 
where, but that it is just as likely to break above the internal in¬ 
guinal ring, as below it, must be at once apparent. If the for¬ 
mer takes place, death by internal hemorrhage is the almost 
inevitable result, and that is just what I have known to happen 
in two instances, where an illiterate and entirely incompetent 
man had been employed to operate on two valuable colts, one 
two and the other three years of age. As to the age of the ani¬ 
mal when he can be most safely operated cn to the best advan¬ 
tage, my own preference is to castrate when two years old, as 
after any manifestations of those phenomena which attend the 
age of puberty, they cannot be safely turned to pasture, and 
many young horses are ruined by being constantly kept up with¬ 
out exercise after that age, although I am of the opinion they 
can be castrated at most any time of life, if done in good weather 
so that they can afterwards be regularly exercised. 
When ready to operate and having the testicle firmly in the left 
hand, and the skin drawn smooth and tense, a bold and free incision 
should be made parallel with the raphe and at equal distances 
upon either side, that will at once divide the external and serous 
coverings of the testicle and give us immediate possession of the 
gland. No hesitating, trembling hand should hold the scalpel of 
the surgeon, but as painless as possible to the overpowered beast, 
as exacting as the most skilful surgery demands, from those who 
are devoting their lives to that noble calling in which we are all 
engaged. One of the most ancient modes of operating, and one 
considerably in vogue at the present day, is that of compression 
by wooden clams (with or without caustic), aud while the system 
has many warm exponents, I believe it to be open to many ob¬ 
jections that do not attach to other methods. The leaving on of 
