one assistant holds the animal against his cheat, while another kneels down and secures the four legs. The operator then grasps the scrotum with his left hand, makes one horizontal incision across the base of it, opening both divisions of the bag at the same time. Then laying down his knife, he presses the testicles out with his finger and thumb, grasps them between his teeth and tears them out. He then closes the wound by pressing the edges gently together with his fingers; the tearing prevents all hemorrhage, and the wound speedily heals. This mode of operation is sometimes performed on animals two and three years old. Some break the spermatic cord without tearing it: they twist it, and then pull it gently and firmly until it gives way.
"Castration by sawing or scraping.—Here a portion of the base of the scrotum is cut off, the testicles forced out, and the cord sawn through by a somewhat serrated but blunt instrument. The hemorrhage, if any there be, is arrested by introducing ashes into the wound. The animal is then dismissed, and nothing further done with him. Fromage de Feagre has castrated many pigs of three or four months old by dividing the spermatic cord in this way. This mode of operating, however, should only be practised on very young animals.
"Castration by ligature.—Here a waxed cord is passed as tightly as possible round the scrotum above the epididymes, which completely stops the circulation, and in a few days the scrotum and testicles will drop off. This mode of operating should never be performed on pigs more than six weeks old, and the spermatic cord should always be first of all uncovered."
We cannot approve of the tearing or gnawing the testicle with the teeth; it is a disgusting practice, and inflicts unnecessary pain on the patient: the use of a blunt knife is far preferable, as this lacerates the part equally as much without so bruising it and rendering it painful; and it is the laceration only we require, in order to prevent the subsequent hemorrhage which would occur if the cord were simply severed with a sharp instrument.
The castration by ligature requires great nicety and skill, otherwise accidents will occur, and considerable pain and inflammation be caused. Too thick a cord, a knot not tied sufficiently tight, or a portion of the testicle included in the ligature, will prevent the success of the operation.
The most fatal consequence of castration is tetanus, induced by the shock communicated to the nervous system by the torture of the operation.
In spaying the sow the animal is laid upon its left side and firmly held by one or two assistants; an incision is then made into the flank, the fore-finger of the right hand introduced into it, and gently turned about until it encounters and hooks hold of the
