128 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Fes., 1902. 
Science. 
NOTES ON OVARIOTOMY AS APPLIED TO MARES. 
By G. R. GAGGIN, Student of the Melbourne Veterinary College. 
Several years ago I visited France, and during my stay in that country 
received special instruction in the art of speying dairy cows. And during my 
attendance at the Alfort College the operation of ovariotomy was performed on 
a number of mares. I took particular notice of two of these “cases,” an 
account of which may be of interest to readers of the journal. 
The subject of the first case was a very valuable racing mare, aged six 
years, and was the property of a wealthy French count. The mare was very 
fast, and had won every race in which she ran, except during ‘‘ the season,” at 
which period she would very often disappoint her backers—for, if started in a 
race while ‘in season,” and in which stallions or even geldings were running, she 
could not be induced to go to the front or pass her male competitors,and had never 
run into first place in any race during the four months of the year known as “‘ the 
season,” though, as before stated, she invariably won during any other time of 
the year. Her owner endeavoured to overcome the trouble by various “ home- 
made” remedies, but without success. He then consulted a member of the 
veterinary profession, with the result that he decided to have the mare 
“‘speyed.’ With this object in view she was removed to the College Hospital, 
and there kept on a low diet for several days previous to being operated upon. — 
Professor Cadiot undertook the operation, which was performed with complete 
success, the mare recovering from its immediate effects within a fewdays. She 
was, however, kept in a loose box in the infirmary for three weeks after the 
operation, being fed on a suitable diet and Emails watched during that time, 
and was then returned to her owner in good health and spirits. 
Eight weeks after being operated on the mare was put to work, and, as I 
subsequently learned, her owner and others interested had good reason to be 
pleased with the results of the operation—the mare winning many big races, 
several of which were won during ‘ the season.” 
I may add that the mare’s trainer complained that after “alteration” she 
was inclined to put on too much flesh, and required ‘“‘more whip,” though he 
admitted she was ‘“‘all there” when called upon by her rider. 
Case No. 2. 
Subject.—A highly-bred saddle mare, aged eight years. This animal had 
for years been suffering from ‘“‘ general cussedness”? She was possessed of & 
most vicious temper, continually showed signs of being “in season,’’ and behaved | 
in many ways like the nymphomaniac cow. Very often when approached she 
would kick, bite, or strike most treacherously with her fore limbs; had caused 
the death of one man and crippled several others, besides blemishing several 
animals of her own species. As she became almost unmanageable, and could 
never be trusted, her owner had decided to destroy her, when, someone suggesting 
speying as a remedy, he agreed as a last resource to give it a trial. The mare 
was admitted to the College Hospital, and treated in a like manner to No. 1, 
ovariotomy being performed successfully, and with no bad after-effects, 
The removal of the ovaries in this case had a most marked effect upon the 
character and disposition of the animal—this vicious, uncontrollable, and hither- 
to useless mare became after the operation in a double sense an “altered” 
creature, never exhibiting any of her former wicked and unnatural habits, but 
