CASTRATION OF COWS. 
315 
ganisms in question, and neglected to make regular statistical records 
of the milk quantum. I do not consider the operation as one entirely 
free from danger; we can always reckon on a loss of five or more per 
cent. A simple peritonitis, which may always follow such surgical in¬ 
terferences, may lead to fatal conclusions. Charlier reports a much 
smaller per cent, than the above. I doubt, however, if he gave to us the 
entire truth. 
Is the operation advantageous in an economical point of view ? 
In so far as we have the removal of nymphominia in view, the answer 
can be emphatically “Yes,” as this is the only therapeutic means of 
value at our disposal. The question has another color when made in 
relation to quantiture of milk and flesh production. In order to give 
these questions a trustworthy answer, the investigations must have a 
genuine basis ; it is not alone sufficient that the milk quantum is daily 
measured, but the food of the animal for a time previous to, and during 
the investigation, must be daily weighed (not measured), and contain a cer¬ 
tain quantum of protein, hydrocarbon, etc. If this is not the case, the 
reported favorable results from the operation are valueless. Again, all 
animals devoted to the operation must be in the highest lactation period. 
All these momenta seem to be entirely overlooked by previous experi¬ 
menters—at least I can find nothing of the kind reported in the literature 
at my command—and it was entirely natural that observers should have 
most varying results. 
By my experiments in the years 1874-75, with 21 cows, all the 
necessary conditions were filled, to give the necessary reliability to the 
results. Not only was the material offered me all I could desire, the 
rations were also accurately measured before and after the operation ; 
for each 1,000 lbs. (live weight), was allowed 25 lbs. dry feed, 2.5 nitro¬ 
genous, and 13.5 nitrogen free substances, per day ; the milk quantum 
from each cow was exactly measured three times a day. This proced¬ 
ure was strictly adhered to, to the close of the experiment. Those ani¬ 
mals destined to fatten received a correspondingly exact ration. The 
temperature of the stable varied between 12 and 14° R. (59 to 62.5 F.) 
The effects of the castration were the following : 
a. With regard to fattening ability. The weights were taken always 
in the morning, and every eighth day, the results were a loss in the first 
eight days of from 30-75 kilog. (1 kilo. 2 lbs. 8 oz., Troy,) in the follow¬ 
ing week a gradual gain was noticeable (by No. 1, the minus after 5 weeks 
was 70 kilo.; by No. 3, 25 kilo. ; by No. 4, 67 kilo. ; by No. 6, 60 kilo., 
and the status quo ante was not obtained for a period of from 4 to 6 
