308 
F. S. BILLINGS. 
milk, better fattening, and a supposed improvement in the quality of the 
flesh, and to the curing of aedaeomania. First, after Charlier, of 
Rheims, in 1850, had taught the manner of operation by vaginotomia, 
and practically shown the rationality of the same, and described in most 
glowing colors its favorable influence upon lactation, people began upon 
all sides to speak of its perfect safety and many advantages. It was the 
same by this as by all new things. Actual investigations, and the careful 
estimation of the facts derived therefrom, produced doubts of the cor¬ 
rectness of Charlier’s and others’ praises, especially in regard to the 
milk production. The enthusiasm of owners and veterinarians was 
cooled by an occasional loss of an animal from the operation, and the 
operation again passed into forgetfulness so far as milk production and 
flesh fabrication was concerned, so that it was seldom spoken of during 
the sixtieth decennium. It was discussed at the meeting of Veterinary 
Union of Schwabia and Neuberg, in 1874 (Adam Wochenschrift, 1874.) 
It was universally decided that it was only to be recommended as a 
surgical interference in case of aedaeomania, a view with which I exactly 
agree. It often happens, however, that an occasional owner becomes 
enthusiastic by reading over some article upon the subject written at the 
above-mentioned periods, and declares himself favorable to further in¬ 
vestigation ; and so opportunity was offered me in the fall of 1874 and 
early months of 1875, to perform the operation upon quite a number of 
animals, which gave me ample material to draw justifiable conclusions 
of the value of the operation. 
Before giving the obtained results we must touch the following 
questions : 1. What do we intend to attain by castration ? 2. In what 
manner can we best perform the operation ? 3. What are the exact 
results ? 
If, in the beginning, it was the intention only to make the female 
analagous to the male animal, and make them by castration more capa¬ 
ble of fattening, it was not long before people began to think they had 
found a means in the same by which the quantity of milk secreted would 
be greater for several years after the operation ; even the daily quantity 
of milk was supposed to be greater, and the castrated animals were at 
the same time expected to fatten nicely. These were the wishes of the 
owner of the animals in question, as he would not be troubled with 
breeding calves—a guaranteed milk machine for a number of years. 
If the castration answered this expectation we shall see later on. 
Nymphomania gives another occasion to the operation, as known, 
a constant sexual excitement, by which the animal in question finally 
