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 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 
 
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 HORSE GELDER'S GUIDE 
 
 CONTAINING AN 
 
 ANATOMICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE GENITALS IMPLI- 
 CATED IN THE OPERATION OF CASTRATION, 
 
 DIRECTIONS FOR CASTING AND CONFINING HORSES 
 
 PREPARATORY TO OPERATING. 
 
 also: 
 
 A DESCRIPTION OP THE PROPER METHOD OF PEFORMING THE 
 
 OPERATION OF CASTRATION ON STALLIONS, CRYPTORCHID 
 
 OR RIDGLING AND RUPTURED HORSES. 
 
 By J. R. PAXTON- — . 
 
 Columbiis City, Iowa. ■..• 
 
 BURLINGTON, TOW A: '^ 
 Acres, Blacksiar & Co., Printers. 
 1883. 
 
Entered according to act of Congress, in the year A. D. 1883, 
 
 By J. R. PAXTON, 
 
 In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 
 
 
PEEFACE. 
 
 Among the modem Veterinary works published in our own coun- 
 try, that there should not have been, as yet, a word written on the 
 castration of Cryptorchid horses, will not appear altogether so sur- 
 prising when we come to consider the fact that the operation of 
 castration has seldom, until very recently, been made a special 
 study by well read or scientific men, but has been left to the farm- 
 ers or common farriers who, as a rule, read nothing and know noth- 
 ing but the little that their fathers and grandfathers may have 
 shown or told them, and held by each as wonderful and valuable 
 secrets. But the enterprise of the past few years has been making 
 startling inroads on old fogyism. The spirit of progression, and 
 the desire for knowledge based upon scientific and demonstrable 
 facts, has grown to be almost a mania with the American people. 
 A quarter of a century ago the only requisite necessary to become 
 a popular horse gelder was to be able to know when the sign was 
 right; but the time has come when it is required that even horse 
 cutters should have a scientific knowledge of their calling. There 
 never was a period in the history of the United States when the 
 services of educated Veterinary Surgeons were so much needed as 
 at the present time. The importance, therefore, of educating men 
 for Zoolasis, and of furnishing reliable works for study, is self-evi- 
 dent; and this necessity is further illustrated in the daily experi- 
 ence of those persons who, as a matter of necessity, are obliged to 
 do the best they can, having no knowledge of those advantages 
 which a thorough course of training affords. Such persons must ne- 
 cessarily feel that they are groping in darkness, and when a ray of 
 light does flit across their path, it only serves to make them better 
 acquainted with their own lack of skill, and they will certainly hail 
 as a great boon every effort to improve our Veterinary literature, 
 and thus diffuse knowledge so sadly needed. The present work is 
 intended to supply a want, or to fill up a gap, as it were, in our 
 present Veterinary literature, no other writer ever having attempted 
 to delineate the principles of gelding horses that retain the testicle 
 within the abdomen. The aim of this work is to render a full, and 
 at the same time concise, exposition of the anatomy of the scrotum, 
 inguinal canal, testicles and spermatic cords of the horse, these 
 being the parts immediately implicated in the operation of castra- 
 tion, together with a concise description of every detail connected 
 with the operation of castration, as performed by^the author. 
 
INTEaDUCTION. 
 
 A Treatise which professes to embrace the most important of the 
 various matters that fall under the notice of the Veterinarian in the 
 operation of castration, seems to require almost, as a matter of 
 course, some introductory account of the anatomy of the parts im- 
 plicated in the operation. It would be foreign to my purpose, how- 
 ever, to_ describe all the details of structure which may be found in 
 anatomical text books, and I have to speak of anatomy chiefly in a 
 surgical sense, or as it bears upon questions which constantly arise 
 in practice. Some topics of this kind will be most appropriately 
 discussed when I come to write of particular conditions and opera- 
 tions ; but there are others which may be regarded as prefatory, 
 and to which, when they have once been dealt with, reference need 
 not again be made. We consider a surgeon who is unacquainted 
 with the anatomy of the parts upon which he operates, precisely 
 in the situation of a mechanic who undertakes to repair a broken 
 machine without any acquaintance with its mechanism or opera- 
 tions. Both may possibly do good, but there is always much to be 
 feared that they may work some irreparable mischief. It is true 
 that empirics have made some discoveries no less valuable than 
 wonderful, without even understanding the cause of results ac- 
 quired by their experiments. Could we, however, but set against 
 these discoveries, brilliant as some of them may have turned out to 
 be, a true catalogue of the failures attendant upon the experiments 
 in which they had their origin, we are sorely afraid the picture 
 would exhibit a complexion which the discoverers themselves could 
 not regard with much satisfaction. 
 
 ARTICLE I. 
 
 ANATOMY OF THE GENITALS IMPLICATED IN THE OPERATION OF 
 
 CASTRATION. 
 
 The testicles are the truly essential organs of procreation in the 
 male species. They are the two oval glanular bodies suspended 
 from the hollow between the thighs within a case or bag, denomi- 
 nated the scrotum. The scrotum is mainly constituted of a loose 
 skin, which is laterally a continuance of that covering the flanks 
 and thighs, in front with the sheath, and behind with the perinium. 
 In the center of the scrotum is a longitudinal crease called the 
 
HORSE GELDEr's GUIDE. 5 
 
 raphe. This crease denotes the line of attachment of the septum 
 scroti. On cutting through the integuments of the scrotum we 
 expose a pale yellowish fibrous layer of substance, which anato- 
 mists call the dartos muscle — this substance loosely adheres to the 
 skin by cellular membrane, and is still more loosely connected by 
 the same tissue to the tunica vaginalis, the first covering of the tes- 
 ticle. The tunica vaginalis is a production of peritoneum formed 
 into a loose vagina or sheath, which originates at the internal ring. 
 It proceeds with and loosely envelopes the cord, and lastly in the 
 same loose manner covers the testicle and epididymis, to which 
 latter we find it firmly attached, but not terminated, for here it be- 
 comes reflected, first upon the epididymis, then on the testicle, and 
 lastly upon the cord, so as to give them all a second covering, 
 closely adhering to the parts it invests. The vaginal cavity pos- 
 sesses a smooth, polished surface, which is constantly lubricated 
 with a serous fluid, which in the operation of castration spirts out 
 the moment that the knife penetrates the tunica vaginalis. An 
 abnormal accumulation of this fluid constitutes the affection called 
 hydrocele. Coming now to the testicles and their appendages, the 
 epididymese, their general form is that of an oval flattened laterally, 
 and about the size of a goose egcg. Perciva,!, quoting from M. Gi- 
 rard, says: "That the left is a little larger and more pendant than the 
 right. ' ' This, however, does not correspond with my observation and 
 experience, for in this country we almost always find the reverse of 
 Girard's statement to be the case; and in my experience in gelding 
 cryptorchids, I find four out of every five, at least, retain the left 
 testicle within the abdomen. The testicle is suspended within the 
 scrotum by the spermatic chord, which is composed of the sper- 
 matic artery, and its corresponding veins, numerous nerves and 
 absorbant vessels, and the vas deferens, which is a continuation of 
 the convolutions of the epididymis, and is the conduit of the semen. 
 The spermatic arteries, right and left, spring, in vsome horses, di- 
 rectly from the posterior aorta, and in others are a branch from the 
 posterior mesentric artery. The spermatic vein ascends from the 
 testicle along side of its corresponding artery, and empties its blood 
 into the under side of the posterior vena cave. The difference of 
 origin of the spermatic arteries in different horses accounts for the 
 different results of castration by drawing the cords. I will further 
 allude to this mode of castration in a subsequent article. 
 
 ARTICLE II, 
 
 CASTING AND CONFINING. 
 
 I am aware that many good horsemen have an aversion to cast- 
 ing a horse, and that some gelders operate very well, on ordinary 
 cases, using no other means of confinement than the nose twitch. 
 However, a number of serious accidents have happened within my 
 
6 HORSE GELDER's GUIDE. 
 
 knowledge, both to operators and animals, by unwarrantable care- 
 lessness in this direction, and I woTild advise my readers never to 
 attempt the operation of castration on horse or colt, no matter how 
 plain the case may be, until the animal is cast and properly con- 
 fined. Almost every operator has his own favorite way of throw- 
 ing and tieing his subjects for operation, each of which have their 
 own peculiar advantages and disadvantages. I have tried many 
 different ways, and I think the method which I have been using 
 for the last four or five years, and which I will here proceed to de- 
 scribe, will perhaps present more real advantages, and fewer disad- 
 vantages, than any other. My harness is composed of a surcingle, 
 breast collar and crupper. The surcingle is in two parts ; the back 
 band or saddle is four inches wide and eighteen long, of heavy har- 
 ness leather, doubled and stitched; a square of solid wrought iron, 
 three-eighths of an inch thick at each end of the back band, is for 
 fastening sinch straps to. About five inches from the center of the 
 back band, on each side, is two strong wrought iron rings in an 
 iron clevis, which is riveted around the saddle. The belly band is 
 the same length and width as the saddle, with the same sized iron 
 squares at each end. In the center, and four inches to each side 
 of the center, is an iron D, fastened stationary with rivets. The 
 saddle and belly band are united by two strong sinch straps on 
 each side, which are to be laced so as to bring the saddle and belly 
 band exactly to their place, the rings on the saddle exactly opposite 
 each other on the back, and the D rings on the belly band exactly 
 under the chest. The breast collar is then fastened to the front of 
 the iron squares of the saddle. The billets to which the crupper is 
 buckled are attached to a large iron ring which is placed over the 
 horse's coupling, and held to its place by a strong strap on either 
 side, running from the ring to the iron squares on the belly band. 
 When the horse is properly harnessed, each strap should be per- 
 fectly tight, and in exactly the same position on each side of the 
 horse. To each of the front feet and to the left hind foot is to be 
 fastened a strong leather hobble with a large D ring in each; to the 
 D in the hind foot hobble is to be tied a rope, the other end of 
 which is to be tied to one of the rings on the back band so as to 
 bring the foot a little forward of the other one, but not so short as 
 to raise the foot from the ground. A strong rope sixteen feet long 
 is then tied to the D on the right side of the belly band, then taken 
 down through the D of the right foot hobble, then up through the 
 center D on the belly band, down again and through the D of the left 
 foot hobble, and finally up through the near side D of the belly 
 band. The horse being now ready to cast, draw the head around 
 to the right side by bringing the halter strap through the front ring 
 on the off side of the saddle, then pull stoutly on the rope running 
 through the front foot hobbles, at the same time push the horse a 
 little, so as to throw his weight on to the off side foot, and allow 
 the near foot to be drawn up to the elbow. When the near foot is 
 
 \ 
 
HORSE GELDER S GUIDE. 7 
 
 drawn well up, pull stoutly on both rope and halter strap, and the 
 horse will lie down as easy as he would lie down to rest in the pas- 
 ture; then fasten the rope so that the horse cannot extend the front 
 feet, and by keeping the head drawn to the side, it is impossible 
 for him to rise ; then to secure the horse for the purpose of castrat- 
 ing him, the hind feet are to be fastened with strong ropes to the 
 rings on each side of the saddle, but only drawn up to the stifle; 
 a rope is then fastened to the upper hind foot, brought across the 
 coupling and through an iron loop on the big ring that rests on the 
 horse's coupling, then over the hip and between the thighs, drawn 
 tight and fastened to the same foot; turn the horse over and tie the 
 other foot the same way; this prevents the horse from shoving the 
 hind feet forward. Another rope is then to be tied to the under foot, 
 drawn under the horse, and taken through the loop on the coup- 
 ling, drawn tight and fastened to the upper foot; this brings the 
 hind feet close up to the stifSes, leaving the thighs spread apart so 
 that the inguinal ring can readily be felt through the skin. I be- 
 lieve this to be the safest way a horse can be tied. The rope across 
 the coupling is a support to the back, and the feet being drawn up 
 tight, prevents the animal from struggling. But, notwithstanding 
 all the precautions that care and prudence may suggest, there will 
 occasionally accidents happen to animals, both in casting and by 
 struggling while undergoing operations. 
 
 FRACTURES OP THE PELVIS. 
 
 The most common accident horses meet with in falling, is frac- 
 ture of the pelvic bones, which may occur in seven different loca- 
 tions. A fracture through the acetabulam is the only fracture of 
 the pelvis that is incurable. In a fracture through the acetabulam 
 the injured limb seems to be shorter than the other, the foot is 
 turned in, and the toe rests on the coronet of the opposite foot, and 
 the animal is unable to bear any weight on the injured limb. 
 Where the above symptoms are present, no time should be lost in 
 putting the suffering animal out of his misery. The curable frac- 
 tures of the pelvis are to be recognized by a flatness of the hip and 
 a variable degree of lameness. Such accidents are to be treated by 
 long continued rest in the stable, judicious feeding, and the admin- 
 istration of mild aperients. 
 
 BROKEN BACK. 
 
 Fractures of the spine occur while the animal is on the ground 
 and struggling from the pain of the operation or from the incon- 
 venience of his position. 
 
 Fracture of a vertebra may or may not be accompanied with dis- 
 placement — the ligaments in some cases holding the bones in 
 their proper place. When there is displacement and pressure on 
 
8 HORSE GELDER's GUIDE. 
 
 the spinal cord, there will be total paralysis of the posterior ex- 
 tremeties. In such cases no treatment can be of any avail. When 
 a horse breaks his back while confined for an operation, the opera- 
 tor is apprized of the accident by hearing a dull report within the 
 animaFs body like the breaking of a rope. This noise is peculiar, 
 and when once heard, can never be mistaken. When this report 
 is heard the horse should be immediately released from his bonds 
 and assisted to his feet. In some cases there will be no symptoms 
 of lameness or weakness of the hind legs, the bones being held to 
 their place by their ligaments. In other cases there will be partial 
 paralysis of the hinder limbs, with knuckling over at the fetlocks 
 when standing, and when moving the gate is rolling and unsteady, 
 and there is plaiting or crossing of the legs. A case of this kind 
 may generally be cured by putting the animal into comfortable 
 quarters, and in a position where he cannot lie down or move about, 
 and be kept quiet for two or three weeks. 
 
 About the first of October, 1881, 1 castrated a colt for a Mr. Hart- 
 sock, living about ten miles southwest of Iowa City. When 1 was 
 taking off the last nut with the ecrasure, 1 heard the characteristic re- 
 port, and on releasing the colt from the hobbles, he made an attempt 
 to rise, but fell over again on his side, and lay for a time apparently 
 unable to move. Having sufficient help at hand we lifted the colt to 
 his feet, and by supporting him we succeeded in getting him into 
 the stable, where we tied him so that he could not he down or move 
 about, and after giving directions as to the care and treatment 
 necessary, 1 left him in charge of the owner. The colt swelled 
 very badly from standing still, as all colts will do after castration, 
 if not exercised, but finally made a good recovery. 
 
 When a horse has a broken back, it will not do to put him in 
 slings, for the reason that as soon as he feels the support, he will 
 allow his weight to rest in the slings, which will throw his back in 
 an arched position, which is sure to misplace the fractured bones, 
 and cause pressure on the spinal cord. 
 
 ARTICLE III. 
 
 CASTRATION. 
 
 When the testicles have descended into the scrotum, and no com- 
 plications, such as rupture, exist, the operation of castration is a very 
 simple one, and has been successfully performed in a variety of 
 ways. The characteristic differences of these various methods I 
 need not describe, as I consider the most humane way to be the 
 best of all ways, and that is by the chain or bar ecrasure and screw 
 clamp, and is performed as follows : After casting and confining 
 the animal in the manner described in the preceding article, the 
 operator grasps the testicles, one at a time, tightly in the hand, so 
 
HOKSE GELDEK's GUIDE. 9 
 
 as to draw the skin tight, when a longitudinal incision over each 
 one brings them to view. The epididymis is then to be cut loose 
 from the tunica vaginalis, and the ecrasure fastened on the cord 
 at the proper place, neither too high up or too low down ; then the 
 screw clamp is to be put on above the chain or bar of the ecrasure, 
 and the screw set as tight as possible; the ecrasure is then to be 
 screwed up until the cord is separated; the clamp is then taken off 
 and the cord allowed to go back into the scrotum; in this way 
 there is little or no hemorrhage. When, however, the ecrasure is 
 used alone, the bleeding is sometimes alarming. The operation by 
 ligature of the artery seems the most surgical and humane, but ex- 
 perience has proven it to be the very worst, if we except that of 
 drawing the cord out, as is practiced by some of the horse raisers 
 of Colorada and Texas. I have known of several colts operated 
 upon in the last mentioned way dying within a few minutes alter 
 the operation from internal hemorrhage. 
 
 CASTRATING CRYPTORCHIDS. 
 
 In those horses retaining one or both testicles within the abdomen 
 or groin, we find the testicle in three different locations, and in five 
 different conditions, each of which we will describe in their regular 
 turn as we proceed to describe the operation by which the testicle 
 in each location and condition is to be obtained. To geld a 
 cryptorchid or ridgling, as such horses are commonly called, it is nec- 
 essary to have the horse cast and securely confined in the manner I 
 have already described in the section devoted to that subject. 
 When the horse is properly tied, he is to be placed with the side 
 that is to be operated upon uppermost, and the operator either 
 kneeling or seated behind the horse, proceeds as follows : Supposing 
 the hidden nut to be in the left side, as is generally the case, the 
 horse is laid on the right side; the operator then grasps the upper 
 side of the sheath at the point with the left hand, and pulls the 
 skin forward so as draw it tight, then, with the knife in the right 
 hand, make an incision through the skin and dartos only, beginning 
 about four inches from the point of the sheath and running back 
 about five inches, being very careful not to cut more than barely 
 through the skin and dartos, as there are a number of large blood- 
 vessels on the side of the sheath and in the groin, an incision into 
 any one of which might cause fatal hemorrhage. When the in- 
 cision has been made of a proper size, the operator lays down the 
 knife, pulls the cut open with the right hand, while the left hand 
 is pushed into the cut and on towards the inguinal ring. In some 
 cases the testicle will be found on the outside of the ring, enclosed 
 in the tunica vaginalis. The nut is about one-fourth to one-half the 
 natural size. When found , it is to be grasped with a pair of forceps 
 and drawn down in sight, so that the tunic can be opened with the 
 knife and the testicle exposed; then cut the epididymis loose from 
 
.10 HORSE GBLDEr's GUIDE. 
 
 the tunic; then fasten the ecrasure on the cord above the epi- 
 didymis; then the screw clamp above the ecrasure; then screw up 
 the ecrasure until the cord is separated; then take off the clamp, 
 and the operation is finished. I call the above described class of 
 horses number one. In the next class, or number two, only the 
 cord is to be found on the outside of the ring, enclosed in a rudi- 
 mentary tunic, while the testicle is retained inside of the abdomen. 
 In this case the cord is to be drawn down by the forceps, the 
 tunic opened with the knife and cut loose from the cord; then pull 
 gently on the cord, and generally the nut will slip out. But oc- 
 casionaly the ring is too small to allow the nut to be drawn through 
 without first being dilated. Dilatation of the ring is to be per- 
 formed as follows: Pour into the opening about an ounce of fine 
 olive oil; then insert into the ring, first, the index finger of the 
 left hand; then the second finger, and then by spreading the 
 fingers apart and turning them around, the ring is soon stretched 
 so as to allow the passage of the testicle; then grasp the cord ' 
 between the thumb and the palm of the hand, and as the fingers 
 are withdrawn, the nut will follow them out, when the cord is to 
 be crushed with the screw clamp and divided with the ecrasure, as 
 before described. By this method of procedure, there is no lacera- 
 tion of the inguinal ring, and no hernia need be apprehended, as 
 the ring readily contracts to its normal size. In the next class, 
 which I shall here call number three, neither testicle or cord have 
 came through the ring. How then are we to get hold of the cord 
 without putting the hand into the horse's abdomen to search for it? 
 This is what has always puzzled the horse cutters, and caused the 
 death of many a good horse. To geld a number thi-ee lidgling, 
 proceed as on the number two, passing the hand up the channel 
 ■ to the inguinal ring, which will be found closed with a thin mem- 
 brane, the peritoneum, which is easily broken through with the 
 finger. Supposing it to be on the left side, the index finger of the left 
 hand is to be carefully worked through, and then the second finger 
 is also to be passed into the ring, then the fingers are to be spread 
 apart and worked around so as to dilate the ring to its utmost, 
 being careful, however, not to lacerate the ring itself — only the 
 membrane obstructing it — for when the fibers that form the ring 
 are broken, there is no telling to what extent the rupture might be 
 carried, and hernia would very likely ensue, the bowels protruding 
 in volume, which is always a very serious affair to manage and too 
 often terminates fatally. The ring being sufficiently dilated to 
 allow of the free motion of the two fingers, the operator is to feel 
 around in all directions for the cord, which is readily distinguished 
 from other abdominal viscera by its peculiar hard cordy feel. When 
 the cord is found, it is to be grasped between the fingers and drawn 
 out. If the nut does not readily follow, the operator should pour 
 into the opening an ounce or two of olive oil, and gently tug at 
 the cord, working the oil into the ring, so as to lubricate the parts. 
 
HORSE GELDER's GUIDE. 11 
 
 When this is properly done, the nut, if of normal size, will soon 
 slip out, when it is to be separated from the cord and the horse 
 allowed to rise. The only after treatment necessary is to keep the 
 wound in the skin open until the internal parts have healed. 
 
 The great majority of cryptorchids will be found as already 
 described, but there are a number of abnormal conditions to be en- 
 countered by the operator who does any great amount of ridgling 
 gelding. These conditions are: First, atrophy of the testicle, in 
 some cases nothing but the epididymis remaining. Second, hyper- 
 trophy of the testicle, in some instance the bulk amounting to that 
 of a man's head. Third, hypertrophy and ossification, and in two 
 instances I have found hair in the tumor. Fourth, a cyst attached 
 to the testicle containing a large amount of fluid, of a yellow or 
 straw color. Fifth, adhesion of the testicle to the peritoneum and 
 omentum. 
 
 With regard to the first abnormal condition mentioned, that of 
 atrophy, but little need be said, the operation in these cases being 
 the same as on a number three ridgling, dividing the cord above 
 the epididymis, or pride ball as it is sometimes called. The second 
 condition, that of hypertrophy, is, however, a serious affair to deal 
 with, very difficult to operate upon, and if not properly managed 
 very dangerous to the animal. In all cases when the ring has been 
 opened and dilated properly, as has been described on a preceding 
 page, and traction on the cord fails to bring the testicle to view, 
 a tumor may be suspected to exist. The operator should then pass 
 the index finger of the left hand (supposing still that it is on the 
 left side of the horse that he is operating) into the ring, at the 
 same time pulling at the cord with the other hand, so as to bring 
 the nut against the ring, in which position the operator can readily 
 feel whether the tumor is hard or soft. If it is hard and unyielding 
 to the touch, the operator has no other resource but to dilate the 
 ring by incision. This is readily done by taking a probe pointed 
 bistoury in the left hand, with the back placed against the face of 
 the forefinger, then pass the finger and bistoury into the ring, and 
 with a gentle sawing motion cut through the circular band of 
 muscle which forms the ring. When this is done, the tumor can 
 be easily drawn through, no matter how large it may be. The cord 
 is then to be divided in the proper manner, and a large towel pushed 
 up, fold by fold, into the cut, and the horse allowed to rise. After 
 giving an injection to clear the rectum of feces, and watching the 
 horse until he urinates, the towel is to be carefully taken out. By 
 this means the bowels are kept to their place, whereas if the 
 horse were allowed to rise without first putting the towel into the 
 cut, the bowels would most likely come down in volume; or if the 
 towel were taken out too soon, the horse in straining to stale or 
 dung might strain the bowels out, which is always a troublesome 
 and dangerous complication. (This accident will be treated of in 
 section on Hernia.) If the tumor on examination has a soft fluctu- 
 
12 HOBSE QELDER's GUIDE. 
 
 ating" feel, a large trocar is to be pushed into it and the fluid drawn 
 off. This fluid in some cases amounts to a quart or more. The 
 empty cyst is then easily drawn out through the ring without en- 
 larging it by cutting. If the testicle adheres to the inside of the 
 ring, the operator must use his finger nails to detach it. While 
 pulling gently on the cord, work the finger nails under and around 
 the nut until its adhesions give way, when the nut may be drawn 
 out and taken off" in the usual manner. 
 
 Though 1 have already mentioned in outline the different char- 
 acteristics of the proper method of operating in each particular 
 case or condition, yet it may render these characteristics more defi- 
 nite if I relate in detail the history of one or two particular cases 
 of each kind as they come along in my practice. 
 
 ILLUSTRATIVE CASES. 
 
 In July, 1880, I was called to the farm of a Mr. Wm. Harding, 
 a few miles from Keithsburg, Illinois, to castrate a seven year old 
 horse, that showed but one stone in the scrotum. After casting 
 and confining the horse in a proper position — it being the left tes- 
 ticle that was missing from the scrotum — I made an incision in the 
 left side of the sheath about five inches long, starting the knife 
 about four inches from the point of the sheath, and running back 
 in a direct parallel with the raphe; I then pulled up the upper part 
 of the incised skin and pushed my left hand up the channel to the 
 inguinal ring, which I found closed with peritoneum, (there being 
 no tunica vaginalis in horses retaining both nut and cord within 
 the abdomen); I pushed the index finger into the ring, and with 
 the nail scratched through the peritoneum, then passed in the 
 second finger, and then by spreading the two fingers apart, and 
 turning them around as much as possible, I soon had the ring 
 dilated so as to feel no pressure on my fingers when placed together, 
 I then moved my fingers around in all directions until I found the 
 cord, which I grasped between my fingers and drew it out through 
 the ring, but the testicle did not follow as it should do in ordinary 
 cases. After tugging at the cord for a few moments, I again in- 
 serted my finger into the ring, when by pulling on the cord with 
 the other hand, I could plainly feel a large tumor, as hard as bone. 
 Not having a probe pointed bistoury at hand at the time, I laid the 
 back of the blade of a small pocket knife on the face of the fore 
 finger of my left hand, holding the handle lightly between the 
 thumb and second finger; I then passed my finger with the knife 
 blade into the ring, and by a sawing motion cut through the 
 sphincter of the ring; I then withdrew the knife and again applied 
 traction to the cord; just at this juncture the horse gave a violent 
 struggle, and out popped the nut, as large as a man's two fists. 
 After taking off the nut I pushed a large handkerchief into the cut, 
 took out the other nut, untied the horse and let him rise. After 
 
H0K8E GELDER's GUIDE. 13 
 
 watching him until he had dunged and staled, I drew the hand- 
 kerchief out; the horse was quite stiff and sore for a few days, but 
 made a speedy recovery, and was shortly afterwards sold for a large 
 price. 
 
 In July, 1879, I castrated a horse for a Mr. Josiah Thompson, 
 living a few miles from Monmouth, Illinois. After drawing down 
 the cord in the usual manner, and pulling at it for a few moments 
 without being able to draw down the testicle, I felt in with my 
 fingers and found a large soft fluctuating tumor, which I drew 
 down by the cord against the ring and punctured it with a trocar 
 and canula. After drawing out the cutting instrument there was a 
 gush of straw colored fluid through the tube. About two and a half 
 pints of this fluid escaped, when the testicle and cyst were easily 
 drawn out without enlarging the ring by cutting; this horse also 
 made a good recovery in a very short time. 
 
 In June, 1876, I castrated a horse for W. H. Hankins, then living 
 a few miles south of Sigourney, Iowa. After finding the cord m 
 this case and drawing on it a few seconds with no result, I inserted 
 my two fingers through the ring and again pulled at the cord, the 
 traction on the cord tilted the nut up against my fingers, and on 
 examination I found it adherent to the inside of the ring; I worked 
 it loose with my finger nails and drew it out, bringing along with 
 it about fifteen inches of the omentum, which I took away along 
 with the testicle. I drove this horse myself through the country 
 about my business for ten days, and returned him almost entirely 
 well; and here let me add, that ordinary work or driving is in all 
 cases beneficial; in fact I have never known a horse to do poorly 
 that was worked every day after castration. 
 
 ARTICLE IV. 
 
 HERNIA, AND ITS TREATMENT. 
 
 Hernia is named according to its situation. A rupture at the 
 navel is called umbilical Hernia; a slight protrusion of intestines 
 through the inguinal ring, is called an inguinal Hernia. When the 
 protruded gut reaches the scrotum, it is called scrotal Hernia. A 
 protrusion of intestine through a rupture of any part of the parietese 
 of the abdomen, except at the navel, is called a ventral Hernia 
 
 A Hernia is reducible when the protruded gut can be easily put 
 back into the abdomen, and irreducible when it is not strangu- 
 lated, but yet cannot be returned into the abdomen. A Hernia is 
 said to be strangulated when the contents of the sack are not only 
 irreducible, but are so compressed as to impede circulation. This 
 condition soon causes pain and inflammation, and if not speedily re- 
 lieved by a surgical operation, terminates fatally in a few hours. 
 
14 HORSE GELDER's GUIDE. 
 
 The form of Hernia with which horse cutters most commonly 
 meet, is reducible scrotal Hernia. When called upon to castrate 
 a bursten, the operator should provide himself with a pair of 
 clamps, about six or eight inches long, and about double as heavy 
 as those ordinarily used for clamping the cord in the old method 
 of castrating. After casting and securely confining the horse, he 
 should be placed with the ruptured side uppermost. The operator 
 then makes an incision through the skin and dartos only; then dis- 
 sect the tunica vaginalis from the cremaster muscle as high up as 
 possible; then work the intestine into the abdomen, holding the 
 testicle down to the bottom of the scrotum. When the intestine 
 has been carefully worked back into the abdomen, place the clamp 
 around the cord and tunic as high up as it can be got and tie it 
 securely, and it is well to further secure the clamp in place by 
 passing a stitch through the tunic at each end of the clamp and 
 tieing the threads around the clamp; then open the tunic and take 
 away the testicle with the ecrasure. The clamp is not to be taken 
 off, but allowed to slough away with the parts it incloses. Con- 
 genital scrotal hernia is very common in foals of the large, coarse 
 breeds, and colts in this condition usually thrive poorly. I cas- 
 trated a number of foals in this condition during the season of 1881, 
 all of which did well and throve better after the operation than 
 before. Many foals have congenital umbilical hernia, and thrive 
 poorly in consequence. The operation which I have adopted for 
 closing an open navel is very simple in application, and has proven 
 to be eminently successful. It is performed as follows : After cast- 
 ing and properly confining the colt, it should be placed on its back, 
 in which position the bowel is easily returned into the abdomen. 
 After the reduction has been effected, two hickory skewers are 
 passed through the skin and abdominal muscles, one at each ex- 
 tremity of the opening; the skewers are united by wrapping a 
 strong cord around their ends. Care should be taken not to draw 
 this cord so tight that it will stop the circulation in the fold of skin 
 included between the skewers. The objects to be attained are the 
 union of the internal surfaces of the folded skin, and the produc- 
 tion of an exudate to block up the hernial opening. This is gen- 
 erally accomplished in about a week, when a second ligature 
 should be applied, tight enoughjjto slough the enlargment away. 
 A ventral hernia is to be treated in the same manner. It is, how- 
 ever, in some cases more difficult to get the skewers to the right 
 place, and for these operations I sometimes chloroform the animal. 
 
 CONSEQUENCES OP CASTRATION. 
 
 The normal or natural results of castration are a variable degree 
 of swelling and a slight discharge of serum or pus. If the scrotum 
 and sheath swell to an alarming degree, it is necessary to open the 
 cuts on either side with the hand, and to make a few punctures 
 
HOESE QELDEr's GUIDE. 15 
 
 along the sides of the sheath with a lancet or pocket knife, and the 
 animal should be well exercised; if a work horse, an ordinary day's 
 work will, with the treatment above recommended, usually reduce 
 the parts to their normal size. After castration a horse should 
 never be allowed to stand in the stable more than over night — turn- 
 ing to pasture or putting to work is always to be recommended. 
 
 Hernia sometimes occurs after large tumors have been taken from 
 the abdomen, and is to be treated by returning the gut and sewing 
 up the cut. The stitches are to be taken out in twenty-four hours, 
 and the cut well opened up with the hand, all danger of a return of 
 the trouble having passed by this time. 
 
 Scirrhus of the cord need never occur after castration with the 
 ecrasure, if proper care is taken to cut the cord high enough up to 
 prevent the end from hanging out of the wound. 
 
 Tetanus may result from castration, as it does when caused by 
 any other injury, and cannot be imputed to any fault of the operator. 
 
 Inflammation of the peritoneum may occur after castration, and is 
 said to be due to the prevalence of easterly winds, or exposure to 
 cold and wet, or to a constitutional tendency to inflammatory 
 disease. 
 
 I have made several post mortem examinations of animals that 
 died from peritonitice after castration, and in every case I have 
 found one or both the cords had drawn up into the abdomen. In 
 three of these cases a ligature had been used in place of clamps, 
 and in two cases the cords had been drawn out and considerable 
 hemorrhage had taken place at the time of operating. 
 
 The question has frequently been asked me why it is not as safe 
 to draw the cords from a horse or colt as to draw them from a bull 
 or calf ? 
 
 By referring to our section on anatomy, it will be seen that in the 
 horse the supply of blood for the testicles is in some cases derived 
 directly from the posterior aorta, and is returned to the posterior 
 vena cavae by a direct conduit from the testicle; while in the bull 
 the spermatic artery is a branch of the external illiac, and the vein 
 of the cord returns its blood into the external illiac vein. 
 
 It is evident, therefore, that drawing the cord from a horse may 
 rupture either or both of the main vessels of the hinder part of the 
 body, which could not but prove fatal; while in the same operation 
 on a buU a similar accident would be an impossibility. 
 
 In 1875 I knew of eighteen colts being castrated by this method; 
 four of the number died; in 1879, two out of five died in about 
 fifteen hours after the operation, and another one of the same lot 
 
16 HORSE GELDER's GUIDE. 
 
 died the fourth day. In 1880 a man by the name of Sheats altered 
 two colts for a Mr. Mickey, living near Morning Sun, Iowa; both 
 colts died from internal hemorrhage within a few minutes after the 
 operation . 
 
 Parlysis is noticed by some writers as occurring after castration, 
 but I have never seen it, except in cases where the horse had 
 broke his back or otherwise injured himself by struggling violently 
 while undergoing the operation. 
 
GLOSSAEY 
 
 Abdomen — The belly. 
 
 Adherent — Sticking, uniting. 
 
 Anatomy — A knowledge of the structure of different parts of 
 organized bodies. 
 
 Aorta — The large arterial trunk arising from the left ventricle 
 of the heart. 
 
 Acute — A disease having a rapid progress and short duration. 
 
 Atrophy — Wasting or emaciation. 
 
 Abnormal — Unnatural . 
 
 Aperients — Medicines which gently open the bowels. 
 
 Acetabulum — The cavity in which is lodged the head of the 
 femur, or whirl bone. 
 
 Bistoury— A small knife. 
 
 Bursten — Affected with a rupture or hernia. 
 
 Cremaster — A muscle which supports and compresses the tes- 
 ticle. 
 
 Cyst — A bladder or sack. 
 
 Coronet — The top of the hoof. 
 
 Conduit — A vessel that conveys blood or other fluid. 
 
 Convolution — A winding or twisting. 
 
 Cellular Membrane — The net work which connects the most 
 of the structures of the body. 
 
 Cryptorchid — A horse whose testicles have not descended into 
 the scrotum. In the west these horses are called Ridglings. 
 
 Canulla — A hollow tube. 
 
 Dartos — The structure which currogates the scrotum. 
 
 Dilate — To widen. 
 
 EcRASEUR — An instrument used for dividing the cord in castra- 
 tion. 
 
 Epididymis — An appendage to the testicle. 
 
 Empiric — A practitioner whose skill is the result of mere exper- 
 iment. 
 
18 GIOSSABT. 
 
 Fluctuation — The undulation of a fluid in a cavity. 
 
 Groin — The depressed part of the body between the belly and 
 the thigh. 
 
 Genitals — The parts of an animal which 'are the immediate 
 instruments of generation. 
 
 Hernia — An unnatural protrusion of viscera. 
 
 Hemorrhage — A bursting forth of blood. 
 
 Hydrocele — Dropsy of the tunica vaginalis. 
 
 Hypertrophy — Excessive growth. 
 
 Integuments — The skin and cellular membrane. 
 
 Inguinal — Belonging to the groin. 
 
 Illium — The superior bone of the pelvis. 
 
 Illiac — Pertaining to the illium. 
 
 Juncture — A point of time rendered important by a concur- 
 rence of circumstances. 
 
 Longitudinal — Running lengthwise. 
 
 Ligaments — A strong fibrous substance serving to bind one bone 
 to another. 
 
 Lacerated — Tom . 
 
 Ligature — A thread used to tie arteries, or other parts. 
 
 Lateral — Pertaining to the side. 
 
 Lubricate — To make smooth or slippery. 
 
 Mesentery — Membrane uniting the intestines. 
 
 Normal — Natu ral . 
 
 Ossification — The change of flesh into bone. 
 
 Omentum — The caul. 
 
 Pus — Matter produced by suppuration. 
 
 Plethora — Excessive fulness. 
 
 Peritoneum— The serous membrane investing- the viscerea of 
 the abdomen. 
 
 Peritonitis — Inflammation of the peritoneum. 
 
 Pelvis — That part of the trunk bounding the abdomen, support- 
 ing a part of the intestines, and the urinary and generative organs. 
 
 Post Mortem — After death. 
 
 Perineum — The parts between the anus and the generative 
 organs. 
 
 Parallel — To correspond to. 
 
 Parites — The walls or sides of an object. 
 
GLOSSARY. 19 
 
 RuDiMENTAKT — An imperfect organ. 
 
 Raphe — A seam upon the scrotum. 
 
 RiDGLiNG — A male animal, half gelt. Cryptorchid horses are 
 called Ridgling. 
 
 Serum— The fluid portion of the blood. 
 
 SciRRHUS — A hard glandular tumor, often ending in cancer; a 
 disease of the spermatic cord, consequent upon castration. 
 
 Septum — A partition or division. 
 
 Spermatic — Pertaining to the testicle. 
 
 Serous — Thin, watery, pertaining to serum. 
 
 Semen — Seed, male sperm. 
 
 Stifle — The joint of a horse, corresponding to the knee of a 
 man. 
 
 Sphincter — A muscle that contracts or shuts an orifice. 
 
 Stale — To discharge urine. 
 
 Tumor — A morbid enlargement. 
 
 Tetanus — Lock jaw. 
 
 Tunica Vaginalis — The sheath of peritoneum that encloses the 
 testicle and spermatic cord. 
 
 Traction — The act of drawing. 
 
 Trocar — An instrument for tapping a cavity filled vdth serum 
 or gas. 
 
 Umbilicus — The navel. 
 
 Vena Caeva Posterior — One of the two main trunks of the 
 venous system, receiving the blood from the hinder parts of the 
 body, — one of the largest blood vessels. 
 
 Veterinarian — One skilled in the diseases of domestic animals. 
 
 Vagina — A sheath. 
 
 Vasdeperens — Excretory duct of the testicle. 
 
 Vertebra — Bones of the spinal column. 
 
 Ventral — Belonging to the belly. 
 
 ZooLASis — The Veterinary art. 
 
UlBRftRV OF cuj^o- 
 
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