CASTRATION OF THE STALLION. 
9 
methods) is one of the safest and simplest in veterinary surgery; 
simple for the operator, and safe for the animals, always provid¬ 
ing the work to have been properly and skilfully performed. 
And yet I know of many instances of graduates of veterinary 
schools whose “ courage fail them ” when called upon for the 
first time to make the operation ; a case in point being that of a 
recent graduate of Canada, who went quite a distance to answer 
to a call to castrate a colt, and after having had the animal 
secured for him , he allowed the colt to be again released without 
making even an attempt to operate. 
“ Our doubts are traitors, 
And make us lose the ground we oft might win, 
By fearing to attempt.” 
I believe the remedy for much of this lies with the schools, 
rather than with the graduates; that they do not sufficiently by 
practical demonstration, instead of by theory, models, or drawings, 
instruct their operating classes, and that too upon the living sub¬ 
ject, rather than the “ dead one,” the opportunity, for obvious rea¬ 
sons always being extremely limited to find the cadaver of the 
entire horse upon the dissection tables of our colleges. Hav¬ 
ing decided to operate, shall we cast our animal, (put him under 
restraint), or shall we castrate him in a standing position, with¬ 
out restraint? Both methods have strong adherents among 
many skilful practitioners, and both methods have some advan¬ 
tages, and also some disadvantages, with which I will endeavor 
to deal upon their merits. I have castrated a great many horses 
of all ages, without casting, and without any other means of re¬ 
straint than the use of a twich and a good man to hold it; and 
while I am convinced there is no horse living but that cau be 
safely castrated in a standing position—and I do not mean in 
stocks (such as are sometimes employed in the Western States)— 
there will always be a difference in their behavior, just as there 
is in horses while cast, for some will always struggle and main¬ 
tain a state of high nervous excitement while under confinement. 
If a stallion will allow his testicles to be freely manipulated 
while standing, 1 should ordinarily judge him to be a good sub¬ 
ject to castrate in that position, and any judicious veterinarian 
