§ilil§§~ 

 
 Elastic Stociiflis 
 
 TRUSSES. ETC. 
 
 Haussmann&DunnCo. 
 
 107 South Clark St. 
 CHICAGO.
 
 
 i->
 
 SECOND EDITION 
 
 REVISED 
 
 A SHORT AND PLAIN EXPLANATION 
 
 OF . 
 
 FARMER MILES' METHODS 
 
 OF 
 
 [ 
 
 AND AFTER TREATMENT 
 
 WHEN NECESSARY 
 
 WITH ILLUSTRATION'S 
 
 By FARMER MILES 
 
 CHARLESTON, ILL. 
 U. S. A. 
 
 Q 
 
 1898
 
 COPYRIGHTED BY 
 
 "FARMER" T. C. .MILES 
 
 Washington, I). C. 
 
 1898
 
 PREFACE 
 
 In boyhood I had a natural fondness for animal surgery. 
 My father being a physician, I naturally acquired, through 
 him, more or less knowledge in that line. I moved from 
 Kentucky to Illinois in 1846, where I had a large farm and 
 was raising all kinds of sto^k. There being no veterinarys 
 near, I was compelled to frequently use the knife, first for 
 myself, then for my neighbors. In those early frontier days 
 here in Illinois neighbor helped neighbor, and I appeared 
 to be the one always called upon to do the surgery, until 
 so much practice gave me a reputation second to no one 
 living near. Then ridgling horses were almost worth- 
 less, and my neighbors would sometimes ask me to "cut or 
 kill them." I always did one thing, and sometimes both, 
 but free of all charge. In thus experimenting, I obtained 
 a reputation thirty years ago, which caused me to stop 
 farming and travel most of the time, in answer to calls, over 
 this country, from Maine to California. I also spent one 
 year on the other side of the Atlantic, in England, Ireland 
 and Scotland, where I performed many operations in ani- 
 mal surgery in 1878. 
 
 This little book is intended as an expose of my favorite 
 methods, ropes, instruments, and after treatment. I have 
 tried to make it plain, and truthful, as well as helpful, to 
 all castraters and farmers. Trusting it will be a benefit to 
 many thousands of owners, and a mercy to all stock yet to 
 be castrated, I am Yours truly, 
 
 Farmer Miles.
 
 EXPLANATION 
 
 About twenty-five years ago I wrote a pamphlet on Cas- 
 tration and Spaying stock, and soon sold out all I had 
 at $5 a copy. In 1877 I was invited to England by Geo. 
 Fleming, V. S. of the Queen's Life Guard and a noted 
 V. S. writer. I went in 18 78, to stay one month only, 
 but stayed one year, castrating in all portions of EKgland. 
 Soon after my return, many students wanted to learn my 
 methods, in my specialty, and followed me around, and 
 wanted me to go with them to different places, which did 
 not work well. 
 
 Several years later I prepared myself to teach my meth- 
 ods to classes, ten days in each April, heie at my home, on 
 the royalty plan, every pupil giving me a bond, signed by 
 two responsible securities, that they would pay me my 
 small loyalty (my only fee for instructions) monthly for ten 
 years. For some time previous to the time for my annual 
 classes I advertised in six or eight counties adjoining my 
 home, for farmers, stockmen and friends to bring in their 
 stock, and I would do all their work free, in that ten days, 
 so I would have plenty of work during that time, to show 
 and explain my methods fully to my pupils. In six years 
 I fully instructed 120 men, only twelve of whom have prov- 
 en honest regarding the payment of the royalty. I did not 
 like to induce men to lie, so discontinued that method. I 
 then thought best to print a complete expose of my methods, 
 ropes, and instruments, and take the book to England to 
 sell at S25 a copy, as that was what they paid me for every
 
 ridgling I cut over there, seventeen years before. I sold 
 some of the books at that price, but found the price too high, 
 and later sold them at Sio each. 
 
 Experience has taught me the necessity of many essen- 
 tial improvements, and I have consequently revised that 
 English edition, leaving out a little, and putting in more of 
 better and later methods, learned by actual experience since 
 the publication of the English edition, adding new illustra- 
 tions, so you will more fuily know how I do, and fully under- 
 stand my remarks and advice to you. This revised book will 
 cost you only $2, and after you have read it through five or 
 six times and prove yourself a competent workman, you can 
 sell the book for $2 to some friend in another county, and 
 help the country along, in a humane and much improved 
 method of castration, and spaying of all stock, and dogs and 
 introduce my string Ecraseur, that you can make and use.
 
 o 
 
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 ANIMAL CASTRATION 
 
 I commenced the castration of stock in 1850, without 
 books, teacher or theory, not thinking then, or for years af- 
 ter, that I would ever leave my immediate neighborhood on 
 such business, but I now think I have traveled over more 
 territory in this business, than any ten castraters I ever 
 heard of, and I have tried all known methods worth consid- 
 ering. I have had the counsel and advice of some of the 
 best M. D's at all times. I have liked the business more 
 and more, even so much as to neglect my farming entirely, 
 and have given all my time and attention to it. I got the prize 
 at our Centennial Exposition at Philadelphia, Sept. 14, 1876 
 as the best castrater of ridgling horses in the U. S. I do not 
 claim to know it all, but do claim to be in good practice, and 
 to do tver\ operation the best I can, which is usually satis- 
 factory to all parties concerned. 
 
 THE NOSE TWITCH. 
 
 First, I like a nose-twitch in horse surgery better than 
 chloroform or ether. The best twitch I get ia made of a 
 spoke out oi a buggy wheel, about sixteen inches long, and 
 Battened at the small end. The loop at the large end of the 
 twitch should be of one-half inch cotton, (or flax rope, llax
 
 is best) spliced in thirteen inches long, and a large twine 
 string, three feet long, should be fastened in the middle to 
 the small end of twitch, like the cut of the twitch. 
 
 I have never seen but three or four horses that I could 
 not get the twitch on while standing. The twitch loop 
 should be over the left wrist; then gently grasp all of the 
 upper lip you can. with left hand and, with a slow move- 
 ment, twist the twitch until it binds the nose lightly; then, 
 with both hands on the twitch, turn slowly, stiil tighter, 
 until the colt raises his head and winks his eye, then stop 
 and turn the small end of the twitch slowly up beside the 
 halter and tie it there, with the long strings on the small 
 end of the twitch, in a bow-knot in No. 4. Now ask the 
 man that is to hold the colt's head while casting him, 
 ''Please Sir, do not touch the twitch until we are through 
 operating on this horse, or colt." 
 
 In common castration of colts and stallions, I tried all 
 the different methods known I could think of. I have made 
 a choice of all methods for my own use, and this little book 
 is intended as a full expose and explanation of my present 
 methods and practice. To meet a demand for my printed 
 methods, my ropes and instruments are shown, so as to 
 more fully explain my use of them. 
 
 I wili now speak of colt or common castration in a gen- 
 eral way. First halter the colt with a leather head-halter, 
 and have a one-half inch rope twelve feet long, to tie in the 
 halter ring beside the other strap. I call it the chin rope, 
 on the halter; now take a half hitch on the under jaw with the 
 rope, and push the lips in under the rope; next, put on the 
 nose-twitch, as above described and shown best in cut No. 
 4 and tied to the halter properly. Then nearly every colt
 
 will stand still. Have two knee ropes ]/ 2 inch seven feet long. 
 Have one y% inch surcingle rope seven feet long, tie a three 
 inch iron ring in one end of surcingle, and gently slip it 
 over his back, and tie it good. Take one knee rope seven 
 feet long, tie the ends together and loop it in the middle un- 
 der the belly, on this surcingle, it belongs there all the time, 
 for several reasons I will give you later on. Cut i shows a 
 grown horse, with his right foot looped up, by that knee rope, 
 being wrapped around his right ankle two or three times, 
 sulking, because the twitch is on just right, and he don't 
 seem to care whether he is up or down, now if all three men 
 pull firmly and slow, I think he will lie down himself. I 
 know he will, if the castrator will turn his nose around to 
 the left side and say pull. I like to let him put his knee 
 down first and turn over as in cut 5, without a struggle. 
 Now having first looped one knee rope seven feet long, in 
 the middle, loop it, about twenty inches from the three inch 
 ring on the circingle, so as to hang down loose under 
 the belly, for after service, now put on the circingle, as 
 cut 1 shows and tie it good, then put the chin rope 
 through the ring on his side over the back; now 
 one man should hold that rope loosely, ready to pull, 
 when told to pull; and hold his nose back on his side 
 when down, as shown in cut 3, put a short hobble on each 
 hind ankle, and two on right fore ankle; one above and one 
 below the joint as cut 1 shows; then the back rope around 
 the left fore leg above the pastern, running it through the 
 rings as described in the cut 1, like a thread through four 
 needle-, first the lower ring on the right front ankle, then 
 through ring on right hind ankle, then through the ring 
 on the left hind ankle, then through ring at right front 
 
 — 9 —
 
 ankle above the pastern, and draw all up snug on the left 
 side, lastly, before casting, have the man holding the hal- 
 ter rope from the half hitch, in the mouth, through the ring 
 and over the back, lift the right fore foot, and wrap the 
 knee rope around it several times, (as cut i shows him on 
 three legs only). The castrater should gently turn his 
 
 FOUR HOBBLES 
 
 THIRTEEN" INCHES LONG IN T SIDE. 
 
 BACK KOBE SIXTEEN FEET LONG. 
 
 horse's nose around to his left side, and say, "pull gently 
 and hold tight," and down hi must go easily as in cut 5, 
 and should he there quietly. Then I take the chin 
 rope and run it through the lower part of the halter and 
 back through ring on circingle and ask some man to lift 
 his head back on his side and I pull my rulter rope tight; 
 confining his head as in cut 3 but wane a man to hold 
 that rope. Now I take the back rope as we call it, that 
 the two men now hold, in cut 5, and step forward, 
 and put the back rope under and around the lower hind 
 ankle snugly without jerking, then walk behind to the 
 horse's rump or loin holding 10 pounds pressure all 
 the time, and ask. some one to lift 50 pounds up by the tail, 
 
 — 10 —
 
 while I try to draw that rope under the hip, and also draw 
 the under hind foot near his bell)' and hold it there, and 
 ask some one "won't you please put this long end over his 
 upper hind foot and give me back the end.?" I then draw 
 it tight as T can conveniently, and say "men let's turn him 
 upon his back" (as in cut 6,) except the head should be tied 
 tight to his left side, as cut 3 shows it now, by chin rope 
 and halter; now this man at the head in cut 6 does no 
 good, tie that nose around tight to his lelt side and he 
 will lie still, comparatively; now the four men chock 
 the horse on his back with their feet under him, toes^' 
 they must not push first, against each other, but hold ' 
 his knees, and hocks and pull the horse tight on their own 
 feet, as chocks, that is rights so far, now let's tie him so 
 that he cannot hurt himself or anybody else. I don't like 
 to bind a horse very tight, when we first turned him up on 
 his back, his r'ght hind foot may have been too loose; if 
 so bear that foot down gently, and draw the back rope 
 tighter slowly under him; don't jerk or he will struggle; 
 that is horse nature; take up your slack on his left hind foot 
 to match it, and wrap your rope around twice, and take one 
 half hitch and ask a helper to hold it, so it wont slip; now 
 unwrap the knee rope from the right fore foot, and loop it 
 over both hind feet, that ties his hind feet to his belly cir- 
 cingle forward, and the back rope ties them to his hips, and 
 leaves his back out of all danger of hurt or strain. 
 
 My advice to all new beginners is to get a colt out on a 
 good place, cast and tie him several times. Learn the A, B, 
 C of castration before you attempt any surgery. Almost 
 every man that attempts colt castration soon gets conceited 
 and thinks himself an expert, when in fact he is liable to do 
 
 11
 
 wrong. But let us suppose our colt is now cast skillfully and 
 tied slowly and safely, ano held firmly on his back by our 
 assistants. If the bag, or scrotum, testicles and all are down 
 well, then with the elbow forward between the hind feet 
 grasp one seed at a time in the left hand, and with a knife, 
 or hook, which is my preference, 
 split the bag over the extreme 
 hind part of the seed one inch 
 long into the water, then intro- 
 duce the hook No. i here de- 
 scribed — all other blades shut — 
 and push forward to the point 
 you wish to split to; or repeat, 
 to cut enough forward; then turn 
 the point of hook upward, and 
 with one gentle pull split the 
 skin and tunic, and that will ex- 
 pose the testicle. Then do the 
 other the same way, about one 
 inch on each side of the septum 
 or raphe three inches long well 
 forward. But if the seeds are 
 small and are not well down, and 
 are hard to grasp with the left 
 hand, grasp the sheath two inches 
 behind the front end and push it 
 forward tightly. Then place your 
 hook where you want the front end of the gash, and slowly 
 pull back, with your hand raised a little after the hook enters 
 the skin, and the front end will slide along just under the 
 skin and you will not cut deeper than the skin, nor cut into 
 
 — 13 —
 
 large veins just below, and repeat on the other side. Kaeh 
 incision three inches long. Now both testicles are exposed 
 with (tunic) or striffin on. Split the tunic and lift the seeds 
 up well. I pull up about two pounds on the average year- 
 ling and three or four pounds on the average stallion on 
 each seed, so as to get well up on the cords. The best way 
 1 think, is to use a good ecrasure and the hook knife to get 
 the testicles exposed, then grasp them both in the left hand 
 at the same time, through the chain of your ecrasure and 
 lift up about three pounds on a large yearling or six pounds 
 on a large stallion. Then with the right hand adjust your 
 chain several inches up on the bloody cord (spermatic cord ) 
 and attachments but always square across, and sometimes 
 over the exposed ends of the tunic, which is not wrong, if 
 you like, but always, after closing the chain, you can cut two 
 inches of the tunic off, it has no blood in it, over one or 
 both testicles, and around both cords at once, hold now with 
 the ecraseur in the right hand. Now, take the two large 
 cords, one at a time, in your left hand, and draw them one 
 inch or more through the chain, so as to shorten them still 
 more. Now see that no skin or extra tissue is caught un- 
 der the chain; then change hands by graspiug the ecraseur 
 near the front end with the left hand, with the thumb rest- 
 ing firmly upon the chain and loop, in the ecaseur, then 
 with the right hand quickly take up all slack in the chain 
 and tighten it some, enough to bite it half off, then loosen your 
 chain and drop towards the seed one-half inch, and put on 
 your chain tight now, then with the left hard grasp the 
 middle of the ecraseur over the handle to better hold it, as 
 you should; then grasp the gimlet handle in the right 
 hand, and turn until one or both cords are severed, which 
 
 — 14 —
 
 one or both cords are liable to do. But in ease they do 
 not, only press your left forefinger on the cords 
 in front of the ecraseur, then turn handle 
 back a lew turns to loosen chain, then 
 grasp with ri^ht band one chain and jerk 
 it on through the cords and tissue, which 
 will saw it off like a mash off, which pull 
 through the loop, and all will be well. I 
 expect to be criticised by thousands of cas- 
 traters as a crank, but nevertheless I pro- 
 pose to tell the truth plainly as I can, and 
 candidly express my preferences, obtained 
 by thirty years of practice. In speaking of 
 the ecraseur I prefer a loose one, liable to 
 pull part of both cords through the loop of 
 the ecraseur, or, at least, some of the tissue, 
 because when the chain fits closely it is 
 harder to cut off with, and will bleed more 
 than an old, loose, half worn out ecraseur 
 docs. Later I will describe my string ecra- 
 seur. 
 
 If you wish a bloodless operation, pinch 
 one, or both cords at once, with your ecras- 
 eur chain one inch above where you intend 
 to crush them off at. Pinch half hard 
 enough to sever the cords; then loosen and 
 slip the chain one inch nearer to the seeds, 
 and crush off square across the cords. As to turning the 
 ecraseur slowly. I never do. I cannot see any benefit by do- 
 ing so longer than five seconds on the first pinch; that stops 
 the circulation in the blood-vessels inclosed in the chain. 
 
 — 15 —
 
 Rupture or scrotal hernia should always be castrated by the 
 covered operation, two inches higher than commonly done, 
 with large clamps, put on tightly, and left on to fall off 
 within from five to seven days; therefore medicine on the 
 clamps is unnecessary. Most all colts that show a rupture, 
 while suckling, will be all right when one year old. Umbil- 
 ical hernia is easily cured by a strong wooden clamp, put 
 on tightly while the colt is held on his back; no cutting is 
 necessary, only clamp all of the loose skin you can, and the 
 end of the umbilical cord inside tightly, and let up; all will 
 drop off in from five to seven days, and will be all right. 
 
 Ridgling or Crvptorchid Castratio?i.< — When talking to 
 my pupils I class as five different kinds. Number i is in 
 the tunic and halfway down from the inguinal ring to the 
 scrotum, and is easily felt by an expert castrater while 
 standing. Number 2, also, is in the tunic, but is so small, 
 or so high up, or both, that they cannot be felt, as a rule. 
 Number 3 is above the inguinal ring in the abdoman. 
 Number 4, the testicle is in the abdomen, yet the courage 
 ball (Globus Minor), and some water is down in the tunic, 
 as a number one ridgling seed, but seems small. Number 
 5 was once a plain No. 3, but is now diseased, and en- 
 larged to ten or twenty times its natural size in {he abdo- 
 men, with serum, pus. or both. 
 
 To castrate ridgling 4 " I think it very important to tie 
 them in such away that the operator will have every advan- 
 tage. I will here try to explain my favorite method: As I 
 go through and over tenor twelve States each year in answer 
 to calls to castrate, 1 first meet the owners of the stock, and 
 next ask to see the stock. I first put my hand under and 
 feel the scrotum, so as to decide for myself, or diagnose each 
 
 — 16 —
 
 case regardless of what I am told, for owners are so often 
 liable to forget how it is, and make mistakes. I then ask 
 "Where do yon wish the work performed?" If I think the 
 -falK- place suitable, I take my ropes there and 
 get ready; otherwise I select a place, and ask 
 that we ma)- use it. Any dry place, twelve 
 by sixteen feet, is suitable, and five men as 
 assistants are enough — a crowd is not desir- 
 able, neither is it best to have assistants 
 change places as holders, as a rule. On fresh 
 plowed ground is a good place when dry, but 
 in wet weather a barn floor is the general 
 place. Then a bed of straw or hay is used, 
 seven by ten feet, twenty inches deep, on which 
 spread several old blankets to complete. the 
 bed and hold the straw in place, close to 
 which lead the ridgling, and half hitch the 
 halter strap or chin rope in his mouth; then put 
 on your nose twitch tightly, and now place him 
 just at the edge of the bed, and he will stand 
 there until you cast him. Now put on the 
 ridgling ropes, $/% inch size, and sixty six 
 feet long, looped in the center for a collar 
 to fit the horse, and put over his head the old- 
 fashioned way, then pass both ends between 
 his legs and outward, cross the same ropes un- 
 der the first as they go back to the collar, on 
 each side, as per cut No. 7. Explained only 
 in my English or second Edition No. 3, 4 and 
 5, ridgling methods which I sell at £10 each, and do not 
 expect to put in this $2 book; and hope before I get through, 
 
 — 17 — 
 
 Ridgling ll.ix 
 
 rope <><> feel 
 long S size.
 
 CO 
 
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 to fully satisfy all but rigdling castraters. I sell the second 
 Edition at $10 to all that want it at that price. But no or- 
 dinary castrator should try to alter No. 3, 4, or 5 ridglings, 
 for he will kill half of them. Experts should make it a 
 specialty, but be willing to insure them and pay for the 
 dead ones. 
 
 Next put on your hopples as in cut No. 7, to cast him 
 with. The lidgling ropes are only to re-tie with after cast- 
 ing, yet can be used some by one man drawing on the right 
 hand ndgling rope, at the word "pull." The operator 
 should hold the left ridgling lope in his left hand, and when 
 all is ready, as per cut No 7, should say "pull;" he and 
 the head-holder, at that time, should push the horse over 
 on the bed. Next the operator should draw on the rope in 
 his left hand, hard, then put it where it comes around the 
 hind leg, down to the ankle, and hold his left hand rope all 
 the time; now withdraw the back rope out of the two first 
 rings on the back rope and fie^ the left hind foot from the 
 hopple. The two men pullers again take that rope, still 
 holding tightly on the back rope which is still on all the 
 other feet, while you adjust your big rope so as to let the left 
 hind foot back near the stifle. The head-holder should now 
 have the chin up and back, near point of the horse's should- 
 er; one man should be holding ten pounds on the big rope 
 on the under side of the collar, out forward. Now put your 
 left kiu-e under the leit hind leg halfway from foot to hock, 
 and bear it in to the horse, as in cut 8, about even with the 
 stifle; then put your long rope down on it at the ankle, and 
 once around; then draw tightly to fit the rope to the ankle 
 close; then take one-half hitch. Now put your rope over 
 the rump or loin, and under the thigh. Ask some man to 
 
 — L9
 
 draw twenty-five pounds on that rope. While he draws, 
 you lift the left hind foot with your hand enough to tighten, 
 like cut 8, up and between the hoeks and wrap around ankle, 
 and then take two half-hitches and ask some one to hold 
 five pounds on that rope, which will keep it from slipping 
 and getting too long. Now go to the horse's lower feet and 
 remove the back rope from the left fore foot by slacking the 
 pull of the two first pullers on the left fore foot. Now re- 
 tie that foot up tightly by looping a knee rope in the mid- 
 dle over that ankle, and one end under the leg and one over 
 the arm; tie tightly in a bow knot near the collar in No. 8. 
 Now have the two first pullers who still hold the end of the 
 back rope walk around behind the horse to his back, and 
 pull hard. One man should now lift on the under fore leg, 
 and, the operator assisting, all should turn the horse over 
 slowly, then tie the right legs just as you did the left legs; 
 then turn him up on his back again, place the spreaders in 
 
 SPREADERS 20 INCHES IN'SIDE. 
 
 between the ankles as in cut 9, and tie them by putting the 
 spreader loops over each hind foot, then tie around each leg 
 with strings in the spreaders. Please cast and tie other 
 horses repeatedly this way before you tackle a ridgling for 
 castration — practice the A, B, C of ridgling work. 
 
 Your easiest ridgling to castrate will be the one you tie 
 best and hold properly. To get a good tie you must first 
 
 — 20 —
 
 practice to get them in proper position; also learn to have 
 them held properly after they are tied. The operator should 
 keep cool and go slow, use no bad words, and show no cru- 
 elty to the poor hoise that has not consented to such treat- 
 ment, which he will prove by struggling, unless your nose 
 twitch and half-hitch on his jaw constrains him to lie still, 
 and thereby help you to do your work quicker. We will now 
 suppose your ridgling is properly tied and held in position 
 by three or more assistants, as in cut 9, on his right side, 
 with chin up and back, and the top ridgling rope over your 
 shoulder as you sit down flat on the ground, facing the horse 
 with your legs over his tail; now grasp the sheath in your 
 left hand, well forward, and make your incision through 
 the skin four inches long, about one inch above the septum, 
 or raphe, just where the seed should be, if down properly. 
 Now with the two front fingers like glove stretchers, sepa- 
 rate the tissues up the inguinal canal, but do not gouge into 
 the body of the sheath; go up near the skin. When your 
 hand is in the inguinal ring, six or seven inches up, according 
 to the size of the horse, your fingers should be only one-half 
 inch below the black skin; now oil your hand well with a 
 tablespoonful of the best carbolized olive oil, and insert your 
 hand, with the fingers pointed together cone-shaped, and 
 rotate your lefc hand while you push upward, about five 
 pounds weight, and slowly open the inguinal canal. The 
 rotation of your hand will cause the tissues to give way in 
 the proper place, until you reach the inguinal ring, which is 
 up about eight inches in an eight-hundred- pound horse, and 
 nine inches in a thousand- pound horse, and ten inches in a 
 twelve-hundred-pound horse, and about twelve inches up in 
 a fifteen-hundred pound horse, varying only a little from this, 
 
 — 21 —
 
 according to the fatness of the horse. A number one ridg- 
 ling's seed will be found in the tunic, five to six inches up 
 the canal. A number two ridgling's seed is eight or ten 
 inches up, yet in the tunic. In each case work your finger 
 around the seed, tunic and all, and break the adhesion, and 
 gently draw it down some, then split the tunic with your 
 hook or knife one inch, and with your two fingers tear the 
 tunic open until the seed slips out, then put on your ecra- 
 seur and crush off one inch above the seed and Globus mi- 
 nor. Numbers 3 4 and 5 not explained in this revision, 
 are above the inguinal ring, floating in the abdomen. 
 
 A few times I have been called on to altar ahorse with one 
 large seed, after two had been removed, and found it a scir- 
 rhus cord as large as a seed. If it had been cut off three 
 inches higher it would have been all right then, and no 
 scirrhus cords would have appeared afterward. I think all 
 cases of hydrocele (water seeds) may be avoided by cutting 
 high, say thrte or four inches above the testicles. I think 
 all tetanus may be avoided in castration by using no clamps 
 or ligatures to be left on over one day. I think nearly every 
 death may be prevented by proper exercise and medicine af- 
 ter castration. I never saw a horse I was afraid to castrate 
 at a reasonable price, and insure him to live for ten per cent 
 on that amount beside my regular fee for that class in that 
 locality. Of course my fees are much lower at home than 
 a thousand miles away from home. 
 
 The best treatment I know of is to drench the horse 
 twenty-four hours previous to the castration with one and 
 one-half pnts of raw linseed oil, and soon as castrated give 
 him drachm doses of my castrating tincture every three 
 hours apart: 
 
 — 23 —
 
 Tincture of anconite root, one ounce 
 Fluid extract belladona, one ounce. 
 
 Quinine, one-half ounce, rubbed down in one-halt 
 ounce of sulphuric acid. 
 
 Put this all in a pint of water and give twelve doses, i 
 drachm, or teaspoonful back on his tongue, not remaining 
 up at night. The horse should be walked at least two 
 hours daily. Moderate plowing all day is the best exer- 
 cise to prevent stiffness. The oil you use when castrating 
 ridglings should be pure olive oil, and to one pint add one 
 ounce of carbolic acid. Your hands should be well washed, 
 first with anticeptic solution, one to two-thousandth parts, 
 then well oiled with this only; then insert your*hand and do 
 your operation. 
 
 Have the incisions on ridglings opened well up, four or 
 five inches high, just before they are walked morning and 
 evening, so as to let all serum drop out, and thereby pre- 
 vent all swelling, as it is called, when in fact it should be 
 called neglect to open up the cuts five inches high for five 
 days. Stallions and plain colts would do better in retain- 
 ing flesh, and make a better recovery if they were opened 
 twice daily for five days three inches high. My forte, if I 
 have any, is with a set of old ropes, casting and tying stock, 
 and trying to cut or spay them, of which I am now trying to 
 tell you my favorite methods. I castrate mules the same 
 as I do horses, but I never saw a mule with a testicle in the 
 belly, except one hermaphrodite that I altered. I have 
 successfully castrated nine or ten hermaphrodite mares, 
 finding several just like number two ridglings; others were 
 as double number three ridglings, except the mammary 
 glands were of the usual size for mares; I never knew one 
 to die. I have cut them from four months old up to four 
 
 years old. 
 
 — 24 —
 
 To castrate a plain bull seems too common to speak of. 
 But I prefer to cut off the lower end of the sack or bag, as 
 little as will do, and squeeze the testicle down and out, 
 tunic and all. Then grasp all of one seed with one hand 
 and push up with the other, and break the cord off six, 
 eight or ten inches above the seed. I do the other likewise. 
 This is the most common method known. Yet some prefer 
 to leave the bag on, and split into the seed through the 
 tunic on each side. This leaves the tunic in the bag to in- 
 flame, which I think is bad. I have known a few bulls to 
 bleed to death from castration. In such cases I think a large 
 rubber ring, or even two, high on the bag would soon stop 
 the blood, but should be removed in four hours, or sooner. 
 I will tell you better later on. I have castrated quite a 
 number of ridgling bulls, the most of which were double 
 number threes; all were barren. The seeds are not attached 
 in a ridgling bull as in the ridgling horse, but are fast to 
 the loin. To get them out, I have always had to cast the 
 bull and cut in the side and spay them the same as a heifer, 
 
 CUT NO. 10 
 
 (as per cut of cow, standing, ) a little forward of the hip 
 bone, and half way down from the back to the belly, in the 
 left side. I hold the flank from me with the left hand, and
 
 
 '■fall 
 
 10 
 
 6 
 
 z 
 
 h 
 
 D 
 O 
 
 fc_JSs=
 
 place the hook, No. 2, in knife, where I wish the lower end 
 of the cut. Bear the hook in, and pull up slowly about five 
 inches, cutting only through the skin and tissue to the red 
 slick beef. Now draw the hinder flap of this cut back one 
 inch and then puncture the flesh and peritoneum with blade 
 4 on knife. Then insert my first fingers of both hands and 
 tear the flesh enough to admit my left hand. Then oil it 
 with carbolized oil and insert it, and feel just behind the 
 kidney, and I find the seed easily, unless I have overlooked 
 a No. 2 seed high in the groin outside, and very small To 
 remove it, or any ridgling bull's seed, pull and twist. It 
 should break off where the cord is small, five or six inches 
 long. The lip covers the rupture you make, and the air is 
 excluded by three or four stitches, only skin deep. 
 
 You can alter ridgling hogs the same way, nicely and 
 safely, if they weigh over two hundred pounds, but shoats 
 of fifty pounds can be cut by using only two fingers in the 
 side like spaying shoats; but decide before you cut in on 
 which the side the seed is, by the testicle or scar on the side 
 opposite. On the large hog there is no difference about 
 sides, as the whole hand is inserted, and either is within 
 easy reach just behind the kidneys. 
 
 To spay sows, I cut in the same place. On a sow of one 
 hundred pounds I cut on the left side, one inch forward of 
 and three inches below the hip bone. Just shave the hair 
 off clean, then split through the skin and fat, up and clown, 
 to the lean flesh, and pull the hind lip back, and puncture 
 to the bowels, but not into them, back of the cut, one inch. 
 Then introduce just two fingers on the left hand, ami bear 
 down in the hog s side, and wipe back on the loin with the 
 fingers to catch the ovary. Then remove it, and follow the
 
 uterus down one horn to the junction, bearing down all the 
 time, then up the other horn to the other ovary, and remove 
 it, and sew up with two stitches skin deep only. 
 
 The way to make hog spaying easy is to get in practice, 
 and never forget to bear down constantly on the cut with the 
 back of your other fingers, which sinks your left front fin- 
 gers nearer to the ovaries, and keeps the bowels in at the 
 same time. The hog should lie flat on the ground on its 
 right side, with two men holding each foot in a hand, and 
 stretching lengthwise, with mouth open. This is the pre- 
 ferred position by experts, who spay thirty hogs per hour 
 all day. My dislike for hog music, which is so abundant in 
 spaying, has prevented my doing it for pay, at the usual 
 price of ten cents each, but I would use a bench if I spayed 
 hogs. 
 
 I do like, however, the work of spaying cattle. Year- 
 lings are the most common ages; but all ages are spayed. 
 A spaying chute is the best way, for then they are held still 
 while standing; but for general practice the ropes are the 
 most available and convenient. Let us suppose we have a 
 lot of fifty cattle to spay today, mostly yearlings, and have 
 five men as helpers, and have choice of a large lot of one 
 acre, or a small lot fifteen feet by thirty feet, or a barn floor. 
 If the weather is fair, the small lot will be the best; if rainy, 
 the barn is preferable — the acre lot is too large for conven- 
 ience in catching. Now, all ready in the small lot, first run 
 a wagon near one corner to crowd them behind; the catcher 
 should be a pluck}' fellow, and catch the first yearling near 
 him with his left hand under the chin, and his fingers in the 
 right side of the mouth, his right hand on the left horn; 
 then turn the calf's nose up and back on the left side tightly, 
 
 — 28 —
 
 and hold it <-o one minute, when the calf will fall over on its 
 right side. Rather than have its neck broken in this twist, 
 when the calf falls the holder also should go down on its 
 shoulder and still hold the nose up and around on its side. 
 Now put the back rope, looped, around the right fore-foot, 
 and a short hopple around the right hind-foot and left fore- 
 foot; then thread the back rope through these three hopple- 
 rings as above named, and have one man to hold them 
 tightly. First put a knee rope upon the left hind foot, and 
 have one man to hold it down and back tightly. She is 
 now in position. Now clip the hair off where you wish the 
 cut, and brush off cleanly all particles of dirt and hair, with 
 a brush, or little broom, and use carbolized oil on your 
 hand. Then make your incision about four inches long, 
 through the skin and tissue, down to the red beef, one inch 
 forward of the hip-bone, and about the middle of the heifer 
 from the back to the belly. I like the hook No. 2 best in 
 this operation, and use it entirely in all my spaying; but if 
 you have something better to make the incision with, use 
 it; then draw the hinder lip of the incision back one inch 
 and a-half, then puncture through the flesh to the hollow but 
 not into a bowel; then insert your two front fingers surely 
 through the peritoneum; then tear the beef by pulling up- 
 wards with left forefinger and pushing down with the thumb 
 until your left hand will slip in easily when oiled, and feel 
 on each side of the back-bone just behind the kidneys for 
 the ovaries — in yearlings, lumps about the size of sparrow 
 eggs, in cows, four times larger — hanging from two to lour 
 inches below the loins if standing, but when cast, may rest 
 against the loins. If you do not understand the anatomy of- 
 the parts, go to a slaughter-house and examine them well 
 first. 
 
 — 29 —
 
 To remove the ovaries, I first find them with my left 
 hand and shut my hand on the ovary while standing at 
 their backs. I then put my long curved spaying scissors, 
 
 SPAYING SCISSORS 
 
 16 inches long, points wide, and smooth and round, and 
 push the points downward, on my arm, to the ovary, for 
 perfect safety. Tie your scissors handles so you cannot 
 open the points over half an inch back; then no bowel can 
 slip in and get cut. as we work in the dark, inside, while 
 I hold the ovary in my left hand. Then in my hand I open 
 points of the scissors, and clip the ovary off while under my 
 flexed fingers, with no danger of nipping a bowel. I like 
 dull flesh scissors; next to the ecrasure, to crush off with, 
 and much more convenient internally. When both ovaries 
 
 NEEDLE — SIX INCHES LONG 
 
 are removed, with half-inch of the attachments and filopean 
 tubes, I sew up the skin only with this long needle, after 
 bathing the parts internally and externally with the anti- 
 sceptic solution, one part to two thousands, two tablets to 
 one pint of water. 
 
 Vaginal spaying ot cows is the preferable way, but it is 
 seldom that our cattle is large enough, and it is rarely done. 
 
 — 30 —
 
 What little spaying I have done on cows and mares per va- 
 gina has been done with rude instruments of my own — 
 a spear eighteen inches long, with a hook half an inch be- 
 hind the point to cut back with, and surgeons' curved scis- 
 sors twenty-two inches long. 
 
 SPEAR — EIGHTEEN INCHES LONG. 
 
 I first insert my left hand in the vagina, then the front 
 finger into the os uteri, and bear down and forward, and 
 puncture the vagina two inches behind the os uteri, above; 
 then draw on the hook upon the end of the spear to split the 
 vagina about two inches. I then remove the spear, and 
 with my left hand enlarge the opening, and pass my hand 
 on in the abdomen and grasp the ovaries, one at a time, 
 and nip them off with the dull points of the long curved 
 scissors, cows and mares both alike. No after treatment is 
 used but my castrating tincture to mares as per ridglings 
 later on. 
 
 To spay a bitch of any size or age, 1 want a rope snug 
 around the neck, held straight out in front of them, but al- 
 ways under the chin, now tie a strong string three feet long 
 over the nose and rope, one knot under the chin, then up 
 behind the ears, and tie tightly on the top of the neck, near 
 the head, in a bow-knot; then with a string or rope, accord- 
 ing to the size of the dog, loop one end above each hook. 
 Now hang the pup or bitch up so that the two hind teats, 
 when hung up, would be nearly as high as your shoulders 
 — about three of four inches below. Next loop the ends of 
 another string three feet long around each frout leg. These 
 you can slip up or down on the frout legs to suit you after- 
 
 — 31 —
 
 ward. Now have the collar rope fastened below on the 
 wall, on a nail or ring, to hold the head down not tight, 
 and one man to attend the head and keep the collar from 
 choking the dog, and one man near to hold the tail from 
 switching around. Now put your left leg over the string, 
 as in cut of dog, holding the front legs, and adjust it to suit 
 you, as per large or small bitch. With your left leg back 
 a little, you hold the dog's back away from the wall and its 
 belly facing you properly. All is now ready, with scissors 
 cut all long hair and brush it away. Now make your in- 
 cision on the median line from between the two hind teats 
 down to or a little below the next two teats, to the red 
 flesh. Now puncture near the middle of cut, to the bowels 
 only, then stick in the forefinger, then the right forefinger 
 and tear the red flesh up and down; a tear heals better than 
 a cut, look for either horn of the uterus. In a six weeks' 
 old pup it is not larger than a large sewing thread ; in a six 
 months' old pup it is about one-sixteenth of an inch, and 
 in an aged dog one-quarter of an inch, if she is not in pup. 
 Now, with both forefingers pointed together as a pair of 
 foreceps, and all other fingers shut, insert the two forefing- 
 ers, and with the back of the closed fingers push. And 
 hold the bowels inside, while you are looking for the uterus, 
 which is always near the loin behind the bladder, as the 
 dog hangs up, and will soon turn red, if not found at once 
 in pups, which makes it easy to distinguish as a little red 
 cord. Then with your forecep fingers secure and hold it. 
 Then hold it in left hand, and never pull up more than one 
 pound on a pup six weeks old, or you are liable to break 
 the uterus off at the ovary, but hold just so you can slip the 
 right fore-finger down the uterus to find the ovary, which 
 
 — 33 —
 
 is as small as a grain of coffee, or even smaller, and fast to 
 the kidney, and in a sack, at the lowest forward end of the 
 uterus. Tear the ovary sack and all loose and up with the 
 right finger nail. Then the uterus is strong enough to lift 
 the ovary up to the opening. Now put your artery fore- 
 ceps on, and pinch all attachments half an inch from the 
 ovary, and cut the ovary off with small scissors, and 
 leave foreceps on, holding all hemorrhage shut off, until 
 you need them on the other ovary, and pinch it the same 
 way until you clip the other ovary off with your scissors. 
 Be sure to get it all, and one-half inch of the uterus be- 
 sides. If you do not have clasping foreceps wax a small 
 strong string, and tie it for two minutes, tight, but remove 
 the waxed string and then sew up. 
 
 I like to sew up with the uninterrupted suture, with that 
 six inch crooked needle, you can hold it so well, and a 
 good string in it; commence at the lower end and secure 
 the peritoneum as well as the skin, and adjust the stitches 
 before you fasten the top stitches. If the bitch is pregnant, 
 I think she can be spayed safely and with less trouble. 
 Instead of the trouble as in finding uterus and pup's, you 
 find, with no delay, uterus, pups, and all, and draw them 
 all out and detach the ovary sacks with your finger nail 
 from below, and a two pound pull up on the other hand, 
 until all are outside, and loose on both sides; then ligate 
 all fatt>' attachments with the vagina, one inch above the 
 mouth of the uturus, tightly, and cut off and take out the 
 whole uterus, pups, ovaries, and attachments. I find they 
 do well in recovering. I have lost two bitches by my neg- 
 lect to sew up tightly enough, and the bowels came out 
 the next day. I think it much better to have them empty 
 
 — 34 —
 
 of food. Two days at first, until you get started. 
 
 I secure and spay cats the same as pups, only they are 
 much easier to spay; but it is well to keep one eye on their 
 claws while so doing. 
 
 I think the antiseptic solution is beneficial on all sur- 
 gery at the strength of one to two-thousandth part, mostly 
 used upon your hands, but some in and on the wounds. 
 
 I think the stitches should be removed the third day on 
 cats and dogs, if the dogs have not already licked them out; 
 a pair of small scissors is best to cut stitches with. 
 
 CALF SPAYING 
 
 To spay calves two to ten weeks old, I like to swing 
 them up like the bitches are; and cut in as high as the ud- 
 der, without cutting into it, then three inches down; and 
 look behind the bladder, this is much easier than spaying 
 bitches; you have only to try a few times to make it easy to 
 do. Remember their teats not quite so high as your shoul- 
 der will be best, but some calves are large and their heads 
 and shoulders will rest on the ground. Sew up skin and 
 flesh, over and over, then tighten up evenly, your thread 
 from bottom to top. I use flax thread six strands, but put 
 no wax on it. Spay thousands of scrub calves and do your 
 country good. Ask your butcher when he kills a calf to 
 let you split your cut, and feel in while he skins, one or 
 more; take one inch of the uterus off with the ovary. 
 
 CAPONIZING CHICKENS 
 
 The most perplexing castration I find is the caponizing 
 oi chickens. I have removed, as I supposed, two testicles 
 each from young chickens, and found them when grown and 
 fat, each one to have from one to three testicles remaining 
 in him. These we call slips, and they will crow and have
 
 red combs, but will never sell as first-class. 
 
 They chase the hens, but do not fertilize the eggs. In 
 caponizing, to avoid making some slips, it requires great 
 care, and a fair chance, small birds of one or two pounds 
 weight, well emptied, a clear day, the sun up high, and the 
 work well done with convenient instruments through a large 
 incision between the two last ribs on the right side. First, 
 if the chicken has had no food for thirty hours, you will 
 have him in condition; next, have a small table two by three 
 feet, and two large strings each three feet long. Fasten a 
 half brick to one end of each string. Now tie one string 
 around his legs and drop the brick over the right end of the 
 table; then the other string tie around the wings, close to 
 the back, and drop the other brick over the left end of the 
 table. He is now tied, and on his left side. Next pick the 
 feathers off over the last rib to the hip bone. Now wet the 
 feathers all around this naked place with very cold water, 
 which numbs the feeling; the wet feathers will push back 
 and stay out of the way better. Now put your forefinger 
 on the hip bone and across the flank to the first rib. Then 
 stick your knife in a half-inch deep there, between the first 
 two ribs, and cut down and forward to the lower end of the 
 ribs, then turn your knife and cut up between these first 
 two ribs to near the backbone. For small chickens use one 
 rubber, and large chickens use two rubbers. The rubbers 
 pull the handles together. 
 
 Now put in the spreaders and open the ribs. Next split 
 the diaphragm which hides the bowels from you, now turn 
 your table so the sunlight will shine inside on the testicles, 
 and all will be seen plainly. Now take the grippers, and 
 with the open ring up, slip under the lower testicle, and 
 
 — 36 —
 
 gently wipe up from under the lower seed first, which will 
 draw it toward you somewhat. Now stop and open the 
 gripper's mouth by spreading your fingers while you hold 
 still as you possibly can, under the seed; when the grippers 
 
 GRIPPERS SPREADERS 
 
 open, the seed will drop below the ring on the lower jaw; 
 then shut them, and now turn the gripper over several 
 times to twist the tunic, then draw out and try to get all the 
 seed and the tunic (covering). The top seed is much easier 
 to get, but it is better to leave it until the last; use it as a 
 guide to get the lower seed first. Now replace the wet 
 feathers properly and let him go without sewing up, as the 
 ribs close the opening. If you have no capon izing instru- 
 ments, split between the ribs with any knife, and take two 
 wires a foot long, bend a hook on one end each and have a 
 boy hold the ribs apart as wide as you like them, while you 
 work. Next have a small ecraseur of your own make out 
 of a goose quill. Cut off the lower point and cut a hole in 
 
 QUILL AND HORSE-HAIR 
 
 the side, get out the pith and insert both ends of a long 
 coarse horse-hair from below, and leave a loop at the lower 
 end like the cut. Through the hole in the side put this loop 
 of hair over the seed, then tighten it by lifting on both ends 
 the hair, and pull all out while you push down to keep it 
 tight, and pull seed, tunic, and all out clean, and you will
 
 have but few slips. This will work on small chickens, one 
 and a half pounds fellows, but cannot be used on two or three 
 pounds young cockerels. A wire six inches long, crooked 
 at the end to raise testicles up will be handy. Try a dead 
 one first. 
 
 MY MISTAKES THROUGH IGNORANCE 
 
 I was called to spay twenty cattle, and alter one colt at 
 a certain town. I did the work nicely, as I thought. The 
 seventeenth subject, a two year old heifer, was so hot that 
 I then remarked, "vShe was boiling hot inside;" but I pro- 
 ceeded with my work without washing my hands or instru- 
 ments, or using any antiseptics, and spayed three more and 
 altered the colt. Within a week the heifer I mentioned, 
 the three operated upon after, also the colt, all died. I now 
 think ignorance on my part cost the lives of these three 
 well cattle and the colt. 
 
 Again, I was called to altar five ridglings and one stal- 
 lion at Dr. Wm. Sheppard's, M. R. C. V. S., of Ottawa, 
 111. I was, -while there, presented with a fine gold-headed 
 cane by twenty veterinarians. The work was nicely done, 
 as all pronounced it, and so I thought. However, all died 
 but one horse, and he had a bad time of it because the first 
 one was a double number three ridgling, and was sick. I 
 noticed it, and said he was very hot inside, but did not think 
 to wash my hands, or know how to use antiseptics, which I 
 shall never fail to do hereafter. Still. I have done hundreds 
 not so smoothly, that seemed to do extra well. My advice 
 to all surgeons is to use your thermometer per rectum, and 
 if the temperature is above one hundred and one degrees, 
 defer your operation and give some sort of physic and come 
 again. When you do operate, have clean hands and instru- 
 
 — 38 —
 
 ments, for your own credit and your patron's good. 
 
 But I now remember a different result on sick horses. 
 At Hartford, Ky., I altered three ridglings in an old shed 
 in a heavy and protracted rain, five miles from the railroad. 
 When done, one owner said, "My colt has the distemper, 
 and was a double number three ridgling, and this weather 
 is so bad, I think I will have him insured at one hundred 
 dollars." His brother said, "My colt has the same disease, 
 and I believe it will be best to be on-the safe side, if it does 
 cost ten dollars more," and both took my insurance policy 
 for one hundred dollars each, and paid me the extra money. 
 If the other owner had been present instead of the groom, 
 I think I should have had to make out, unwillingly, another 
 policy. My circulars for the past eighteen years have said: 
 "I will insure all ridglings that I get the first cut on, for 
 ten per cent extra, upon the value of the horse, the owners to 
 decide which they prefer after they see the work done." 
 At this particular time, in the mud, rain, etc., I sort of had 
 the blues, something I am not subject to, and I would have 
 preferred paying the ten per cent, not to take the risk, as 
 these horses had the distemper, and were obliged to go sev- 
 eral miles in a hard rain and deep mud; and, from general 
 appearances, I feared would have poor stables and attention 
 at home. But my circulars in our correspondence made 
 the offer, and I felt honor bound to make my word good 
 without complaint. Luckily for me, however, all three did 
 well, and I received a very complimentary letter in two 
 weeks saying, "Our horses are all well, and did not appear 
 to mind the operation at all." 
 
 ANOTHER MISTAKE 
 
 I would like to tell you how I lost my handkerchief. I 
 — 39 —
 
 was called to Terre Haute, Ind., to altar a number three 
 ridgling. I got him down and tied. I then made an in- 
 cision through the peritoneum. Just then he struggled, 
 and I made the rupture much too large, and the bowels came 
 down. I put them back again and again, and finally got 
 the seed out and the bowels in. But they would not stay, 
 so I asked a boy to give me my handkerchief from my over- 
 coat on the fence. I took it and crammed it high up in the 
 inguinal canal and let the horse up, and down came the 
 bowels again. I caught them, and with little difficulty re- 
 placed them once more while standing, but forgot the hand- 
 kerchief. I soon missed it, however, and supposed I now 
 had a new and desperate case on hand, but I had no trouble 
 while standing to lift his hind foot and set it on my knee, 
 and then gently insert my hand to the rupture and my fin- 
 gers inside, and there found and got the handkerchief. That 
 colt worked every day and did well, but I did not tell any 
 one for several years of my loss. I now tell you, so that 
 you may be more careful; for should such an accident hap- 
 pen you, it may be of service to you to know how others 
 have done when cornered. 
 
 I have now about one hundred and twenty pupils upon 
 the royalty plan, for ten years' time, and I tell them all 
 never to be afraid of blood or bowels, for there is a way to 
 manage them with safety. You can take up and tie almost 
 any blood-vessel, or open a horse and take out and look at 
 his bowels and safely put them in, and have him live and 
 do well. 
 
 There are a number of bitches in this town that I have 
 spayed, removing ovaries, womb, pups and all, that lived 
 and did well. There is a dog here now that never was born- 
 
 — 40 —
 
 and his mother is here and well, also, The pelvis bones 
 would not open, and, after one day in labor, I opened the 
 belly and the womb and took him out, and in four months 
 after spayed the mother, at the same opening, and found 
 the womb grown in the cicatrix. 
 
 I never found the mare or cow I could not deliver suc- 
 cessfully. 
 
 I was called by Jack Pierce, my friend, at Ridge Farm, 
 111., to altar three ridglings, about forty miles from here. 
 The first one had been cut into, without success, twice be- 
 fore, and was healed up tightly, and was hard calloused in 
 the groin. This horse was badly stringhalted at that time 
 on that side. By chance that horse was cast first, and with 
 much trouble castrated. 
 
 The second was cast and partly tied, when upon looking 
 around I saw the bowels of the first one hanging out. I 
 asked some man to hold them up until the second horse was 
 castrated, so we could have the ropes to use, but the horse 
 was restless and the man timid, and he would let go. So 
 the bowels came on down nearly to his hocks, and we let 
 the half tied horse up, and cast number one with the four 
 hobbles and back rope, and soon replaced the bowels. I 
 then castrated the second and third ridgling. I then saw 
 the bowels hanging out again. We cast number one the 
 third time, and I took a stitch, as I supposed, around the 
 inguinal passage and left for the train. When I had gotten 
 a quarter of a mile away I heard a call, and looking back, 
 knew by their gestures that something was wrong. I re- 
 turned at once and found a bucket full of bowels out and the 
 horse down in the dogfennel and weeds and <[uite sick. We 
 put the ropes on this one the fourth time; next picked the 
 
 — 41 —
 
 dogfennel off, oiled the bowels. I then slipped my hand 
 into the inguinal passage up to the ring; then grasped the 
 bowels and put them back through the rupture by lifting 
 one inch at a time, when the horse was on his side and the 
 rupture up. I then split into the inguinal channel as high 
 as I could conveniently, about halfway up to the ring, up 
 and down, three inches long, so I could then see where to 
 put my needle, still above my last cut, so as to close the su- 
 ture around the channel above. That horse made a good 
 recover}', but strange to say, he was never seen to show 
 stringhalt afterward and soon sold for a good price. 
 
 I forgot to speak of one ridgling I castrated in Kentucky. 
 He had been unsuccessfully operated upon repeatedly on 
 both sides, and was hard and Calloused in the groin. I 
 spayed him (the only one I ever did that way) in the right 
 side, as we do cows in the left side. He got his pint and a 
 half of linseed oil twenty-four hours previously, and twelve 
 of my one-drachm doses of castrating tincture promptly af- 
 terward, and the antiseptics were used freely. He did well 
 in recovering. 
 
 SOMK OF MY MISTAKES ON DOGS 
 
 I spayed an eight-month-old pup, and by mistake got one 
 ureta, instead of one horn of the uterus, and broke it off 
 near the kidney. Then, for experiment, I cut it off near the 
 bladder, and then spayed her. She was helpless for several 
 days after, and filied up, seemingly with water. She broke 
 at the incision several times, and the water ran out, but she 
 finally got well in two months. 
 
 I spayed a four-weeks-old pup, and made the same mis- 
 take, and it lived. But the nicest job I ever did in spaying 
 was on three- month-old pups. The second one was spayed 
 
 — 43 —
 
 in five minutes, without one drop of blood. I was proud, if 
 I must admit it, of my skill. The owner was pleased that 
 the pup took it so kindly; it made no move while I was 
 spaying it, or ever afterward, but it was not choked to death, 
 which there is some danger of doing. The same man want- 
 ed some pups' tails cut off, near Boston, Mass. I put the tails 
 in the ecraseur, and pinched them off. That works like a 
 charm. Try it, Mr. V. S. 
 
 HORSES TAILS 
 
 I am often called to straighten horses' tails. My prefer- 
 ence is to cast the horse with my four hobbles and back-rope, 
 and use my castrating knife with No. 4 blade, the small 
 blade on my castrating and spaying knife, as shown on 
 page 13. 
 
 To cut the upper cord or muscles in two, in one, two or 
 three places, according to how much it crooks, avoiding the 
 joints. I aim to cut so the tail will go straight and a little 
 over to the other side, for in healing it will settle back a lit- 
 tle. I put my blade in half an inch below the hair, side- 
 ways, and bury all the cutting edge beyond the skin well; 
 then turn the edge up and cut all the top muscle in two up 
 to the skin. Then turn the knife over and cut down to the 
 tail bone to make sure of all the cord while the muscle is 
 tight. By bending the tail from you, no after treatment is 
 necessary. I like this better than only to make one cut, and 
 tie the tail around to the opposite side for one week or 
 longer. 
 
 DEHORNING 
 
 I never met a farmer who knew nothing about dehorn- 
 ing but objected to such cruelty. I also never knew one 
 who had had twenty cattle dehorned but was in favor of it 
 
 — 44 —
 
 always afterward. I am most decidedly. I think it a great 
 prevention of cruelty to animals. The best way is to blister 
 the horns off of the little calves with the strongest blister 
 you have. I think any strong blister will kill the horns, 
 especially one drop of the oil of mustard on each horn; but 
 after the horn is one inch long, here horn forceps are used 
 to take them out with. Yearlings and all older cattle are 
 best dehorned with a small bone saw, such as butchers use. 
 Specialists, as dehorners here, make a frame to load in a 
 wagon and haul around the country and will stop at the 
 barn door or gate and dehorn all your cattle for ten cents 
 each, and they saw down into the head so as to have a ring 
 (a quarter of an inch) of skin left on each horn, which is 
 the best way and the right place. I think in a few years 
 more, in this country, horns on cattle will not be seen at all 
 for none die from dehorning and the cost is so slight. They 
 feed, handle and ship better, as well as sell better, without 
 horns. Try it and be convinced. 
 
 PRICKS 
 In the Western and Middle States the common price for 
 ordinary castration is generally one dollar per head, in 
 small lots, but for yearling mules in large droves, twenty- 
 five cents each is a common pi ice — that is for seventy- five 
 or one hundred in a place. In the Eastern States the price 
 is generally double what it is in the Western, that is, where 
 there are not so many in a place to alter. Where there is 
 but one or two in a place, the price is five dollars each, 
 East, if well-bred stock. Three-fourths of them are now 
 cast and clamped; many years ago standing was as common 
 as casting. I think casting the best way, and do that en- 
 tirely of late years, but have altered nearly oik- thousand 
 
 — 45 —
 
 standing. I never did but one ridgling standing, and will 
 never try another that way. I suppose I get better prices 
 than any eastrater ever did or ever will again, as my trips 
 are so lengthy, but my pupils will soon divide that practice 
 up, and none have such long trips or heavy expenses to 
 reach their patrons. I castrate in the East a few yearlings, 
 in bunches at five dollars each; where there are but two or 
 three at a place, ten dollars each; ridglings, four or more in 
 a place, twenty dollars each; for one only, more is charged, 
 according to time taken and railroad expenses. 
 
 Two years ago, W. L. Scott, of Erie, Pa., wanted me to 
 alter five yearling colts — all plain work. I did them nicely 
 as I could, when he asked me what my charges were. I 
 told him ten doll irs each — he objected to the price and paid 
 me fifteen dollars each. Last year I altered eleven 
 plain colts for him, and charged one hundred and ten dol- 
 lars. He objected again, and paid me one hundred and 
 twenty-five dollars. Let me further say, one of his first five 
 colts ("Chaos"; won for Mr. Scott, as a two-year old, 
 seventy-five thousand dollars as a race horse — in five races. 
 
 While in Tennessee, Nov. 1887, I received a letter say- 
 ing, "Fanner Miles, when can you come to Saratoga and 
 alter four plain colts? J. B. D\er." I answered. "I can 
 go to Saratoga, N. Y., and alter four plain colts nicely, 
 Dec. 10, for seveniy-five dollars, if answered soon, saying 
 come." In three days I rectived a telegram saying, 
 "Fanner Miles, your seventy five dollar rates are satisfac- 
 tory. Come Dec. 10." I went and got his seventy-6ve 
 doll irs. and his thanks, also. 
 
 Dec. 20, 1888, I was again called to castrate seven plain 
 cobs for J. B. Dyer, and did so, charging him one hundred 
 
 — 47 —
 
 and fifty dollars. This you may think a big price, but Mr. 
 Dyer seemed satisfied. 
 
 In June, 1888, I was paid sixty-five dollars to alter one 
 ridgling colt for Mr. E. Thorn, of Henderson, N. C. 
 
 In August, 1888, I was paid seventy-five dollars to alter 
 one double number three ridgling horse for T. Dudley, 
 Topeka. Kan. 
 
 The best I ever did was to alter six ridglings and two 
 plain yearlings at Bangor, Me., for one hundred and sixty 
 dollars, one afternoon, all easy work, and a pleasant crowd, 
 and plenty of sweet cider to drink. The most I was ever 
 paid for one operation, was eighty-five dollars, on a rup- 
 tured, heavy stallion, near Pittsburg, Pa. 
 
 The most difficult operation I ever did on a fine bull, 
 was for rupture of the scrotum on one side, in Chicago. 
 One State Veterinary had tried to return the bowels with 
 his hand in the rectum and the bull on his back one hour, 
 and failed to return them, two weeks before I was called. 
 I split the bag, tunic, and all, and found adhesion of the 
 bowels all around in the tunic, which was very large and 
 hard. I broke down the adhesion and then replaced them. 
 Also put the testicle on that side in, rather than remove it, 
 and sewed all up, with anticeptic, in which Dr. Withers, 
 V. vS. , of the Veterinary College of Chicago, kindly assisted 
 me. 
 
 The most surgery I ever did in one day with five helpers 
 and only one set of ropes, was to spay two hundred and five 
 large wild cows for J. \V. Iliff, of Denver, Col., and I 
 climbed a small pole about twenty-five times, besides, when 
 I was tired. I presume you would like to know what pole 
 climbing had to do with spaying cattle? It saved my life 
 
 — 48 —
 
 many times. It is very easy to do when a fellow knows the 
 cow is very mad, and comes at liim double quick, with such 
 long horns, out on the plains, thirty miles from any tree or 
 house. I sometimes feel I could climb two at a time, or 
 any other way to get out of their reach. Each helper also 
 had a pole planted near him, to climb when necessary. Mr. 
 Iliff had fifty-five thousand head, and all as wild as Buffa- 
 loes. 
 
 The most large horses I ever altered in one day was 
 sixty-six head for Lux & Miller, of San Francisco, Cal., on 
 a farm fourteen miles wide on an average, and over fifty 
 miles long. I also spayed a few cattle for them, out of their 
 eighty thousand head, and other stock in proportion. From 
 there I went to Pettaloma, Col., and offered to castrate the 
 "man eater" free of charge (it was an imported Norman 
 stallion seventeen hands high, that had killed several men) 
 but he was kept as a show then, and I failed to get the job; 
 but a month later he was shot seven times and killed, while 
 he had his keeper, Prof. Tapp, down trying to kill him. 
 
 I felt proud as an American to cast a very vicious ridg- 
 ling horse for Mr. Case, in the Veterinary College, London, 
 Fng., and castrated him in good order, before a large crowd 
 of veterinarians there, who always treated me as kindly as 
 if I was a veterinary myself, with a large diploma. 
 
 I have castrated in the veterinary colleges of Paris, 
 France; London, Eng. ; Glasgow, Scotland; Montreal, Can- 
 ada; Boston, Mass.; Chicago, 111.- and other cities too 
 numerous to mention. I have spayed cows for the State of 
 Pennsylvania, and have castrated colts for the Baltimore & 
 Ohio Railroad Company, two of the richest firms any cas- 
 trater ever worked for. 
 
 — 49 —
 
 ■
 
 I felt pleased to be permitted by George Fleming, F. M. 
 R. C. V. S., to alter one of Queen Victoria's Life Guard 
 horses, free of charge, after I said I did not charge poor 
 widows anything. I now have Mr. Geo. Flemings testi- 
 monial of it and that the horse was sound and well the 
 twelfth day, at St. John's Wood Barracks, London, before 
 several of England's best veterinarians. He was a black, bob- 
 tailed number three ridgling. I did him in good time and 
 order, and did not draw ten drops of blood. The horse was 
 sound and well twelve days after, which proved that the 
 work was well and properly done. 
 
 I went to England in September of 187S, to spend three 
 or four weeks only, and found it so pleasant that I remained 
 there one year. I have most kind remembrances of the 
 treatment I received while in England and Ireland by 
 the veterinary surgeons there, and of their universal kind 
 treatment and hospitality. Where I expected rivalry and 
 competition, I found all helps and kind treatment. I now 
 wear a gold watch — a timer — presented to me at Drawhada, 
 Ireland, and inscribed thereon as follows: "Presented to 
 Father Miles by Messrs. Drummond and Jones, Veterinary 
 Surgeons, in testimony of his ability as an operator upon 
 horses when in Ireland in May, A. D. 1879." 
 
 I was also presented with the following upon parchment, 
 which I call my English diploma: 
 
 "We, the undersigned veterinary surgeons, practicing in 
 the county of Lincoln, having witnessed Mr. T. C. Miles' 
 operations upon ridgling horses, desire to bear witness to the 
 humane, scientific and perfectly satisfactory manner in 
 which he attains his object. We also wish to express our ap- 
 proval of his method of casting and securing the animal, and 
 
 — 51 —
 
 of the instruments he uses in the performance of the oper- 
 ation." 
 
 This was signed by fifteen of the best veterinarians in 
 Central England, and sent to me most unexpectedly as a 
 present from rivals in castration after my return home to 
 Illinois, and for which, both watch and diploma, I have 
 often felt that it would be a great pleasure to me if I could 
 again meet those gentlemen and say, "Thank you, thank 
 you," several times to each one for the gratification and 
 pleasure you gave me. 
 
 Some of the pictures in this book are of a ball face horse 
 bought for $100.00 for the purpose of operating upon, and 
 for giving some final instructions to a class of pupils. He 
 was a double No. 3 ridgling. He was first cast and tied as 
 herein represented, and held upon the ground, while twenty- 
 four hands were inserted in my cuts up to the bowels, for 
 three minutes to each pupil, while examining the parts, as 
 I progressed in his castration. Of course he was as merci- 
 fully treated as possible, and with clean hands, well oi'.ed. 
 Still he was kept tied down more than an hour. However, 
 he did well, and I considered him sound and well the 
 twelfth day after, with no swelling of the sheath, as is com- 
 mon in castration, and was used daily while recovering. He 
 was not given the pint and a half of linseed oil previously, 
 as recommended, but was given the regular drachm doses 
 of the castrating tincture promptly, and was well opened 
 twice a day for five days five inches up in the groin on each 
 side, and was trotted around in our operating house twenty 
 minutes after each opening of the cuts, and I now think all 
 operators on ridglings can safely and well perform all such 
 castrations, if they will strictly follow the contents of this 
 
 — 52 —
 
 little book. I do not think any man will fully understand 
 these instructions by once reading them, but it will be best 
 to read them, short as they are, until all are familiar; then 
 put in practice all tying and rope work, until all is easy to 
 do, before the commencement of surgery. I feel sure you 
 will never regret the time lost in so doing. There is money 
 in it, and more sport and pleasure in it than gunning where 
 the game is plenty. My pupils all declare there is nothing 
 called business so pleasant as to meet a crowd of gentlemen 
 with four or five ridglings to alter, and be able to nicely 
 cast, and tie, and castrate them in one hour, to the satisfac- 
 tion of all present, and then be paid one hundred dollars 
 cash in hand, and complimented for their success. I have 
 experienced this sensation many times in life, and I also 
 testify that it is pleasant. Try it a few times. I think you 
 would like it more and more. 
 
 Believing I have given all the necessary information 
 upon this subject, I wish, before closing, to say to all read- 
 ers of this little book, as I generally say to the crowds of 
 spectators that collect at the various places where I am 
 called to operate, and to those who help me in my work, 
 that surgery, whether upon man or beast, should always 
 be humane. We should always remember that a horse is 
 one of man's nearest and best friends and helpmates below 
 his own race; that God has given him to serve and obey; to 
 be patient and kind to man. In return we should remember 
 that in sickness and health we should care for this animal 
 with a kindly heart and the greatest sympathy. While he 
 trusts man we hope that man will not betray the confidence 
 the noble brute places in him, and in all kinds of surgical 
 operations it has been one of my highest aims and ambitions 
 
 — 53 —
 
 to do the work skillfully, and to cause as little pain as is 
 possible with success. We must remember that the poor 
 creature is bound and held at our mercy; that he too, has 
 nerves, suffers pain and is entitled to all human kindness; 
 and I believe there is no greater crime in the annals of in- 
 humanity than the torture or recklessness which may pro- 
 duce pain and suffering in this noble animal. And I do 
 hope and trust that all who may try to follow my footsteps 
 in the surgical part of this work will also keep ever in mind 
 that pain is severe; that animals suffer but can not speak or 
 even cry to tell us of their pain and sorrow. Never keep an 
 animal fettered or bound a moment longer than is necessary. 
 Never produce pain that can be avoided. In other words, 
 always follow the golden rule in your dealings with your 
 best friend in the animal kingdom. 
 
 Finally, good-bye. God bless you all. Live right and 
 easy, and let us all try to meet in heaven. I believe in God 
 the Father, God the Son and God the Spirit, three in one. 
 I believe as old Paul said to the Athenians, the time of this 
 ignorance God winked at, but now commands all men every- 
 where to repent. I think good works are good fruits for 
 believers to bear; but that Jesus Christ is the only Savior 
 of sinners, and that on the conditions that we trust Him and 
 try to obey Him. 
 
 Yours truly, 
 
 FARMER T. C. MILES. 
 Charleston, Illinois, U. S. A.
 
 APPENDIX 
 
 ....TO.... 
 
 ANIMAL CASTRATION AND SPAYING 
 
 AS PRACTICED BY FARMER MILES 
 
 FARMER MILES' THEORY ON CATTLE SPAYING 
 
 That scrub cattle are more costly per pound for either 
 milk or beef to farmers than well bred cattle. And that 
 twelve years of annual castration of all males not needed, 
 as best for bulls, and twelve years of annual spaying of 
 cows, calves and heifers often per cent of all female cattle, 
 selecting each year to spay only the most inferior of their 
 classes; Jersey's, Guernsey's, Holstein's (for milk); Short- 
 horn's, Poled Angus and Hereford's (for beef) would soon 
 work wonders in improvement and pay well from start to 
 finish. Any man, country or state can do it safely and 
 profitably, if they try. "Then" why has it not been do?ie 
 before? I think I can tell the whole story from personal 
 observation in twenty to thirty years ago. I spayed cattle 
 in different countries, in several states, and spayed cattle 
 became veiy much sought after, and I was kept busy as I 
 was in good practice, and did good work, for several years 
 in connection with my specialty on ridgling horse castration,
 
 but in later years when called to the same places to alter 
 ridglings I was asked repeatedly, "Why spayed heifers 
 bulled badly now a days?" I answered, "Spayed heifers 
 never bull." 
 
 These stock men claimed that so many heifers bulled 
 and kept the herds excited that they would not dare to 
 handle them any more as stockers or feeders. 
 
 I had charged fifty cents each to spay, and could spay 
 ten or twelve an hour. Men and boys helping me to cast 
 and hold them saw all outside work and took up the trade 
 at twenty-five cents each, and spoiled it by only half spay- 
 ing some and getting out a lump that is not an ovary by 
 mistake. I offer to pay the worth of any cow or calf I spay 
 that bulls afterward, and can teach my methods plainly to 
 others now in this book to safely spay cattle. Calves and 
 yearlings are the best age, but old cows also are safely 
 spayed. I have spayed many cows forward in calf, which 
 is not advised, it is not so safely done then. I have spayed 
 hundreds of milch cows. The rule is, they give much more 
 milk and in three or four years, gradually get very fat, 
 while milking well. If I was a dairyman I would spay all 
 my dairy cows. As a rule, spayed dairy cows milk well, 
 for three or four years, and if well fed, can be kept up to a 
 full flow in winter, when milk is scarce. But the point in 
 a spayed dairy cow is that her stomach is like the hopper 
 of a good mill grinding; it mubt make good goods of all 
 that goes through it, either milk or high-priced beef, or 
 both, while the open cow wastes part of her time and feed 
 wanting a bull every twenty-one days; and, after that time, 
 much of her feed goes to build up a worthless calf, which 
 lowers her amount of milk, and if sold for beef, lowers 
 
 — 58 —
 
 her quality and price for beef. Generally; two fat spayed 
 milch cows, in the Spring, will sell for more than three 
 fresh cows cost. 
 
 In prices of beef, per pound, old bulls are the lowest, 
 old cows the next; good fat steers better, but nice, fat 
 spayed heifers, of same age of steers, are the best. But 
 young spayed cows, milked three or four years, and fed 
 well all the time, pay well all the time and get very fat, 
 and when dried up and stuffed two months sell on a spring 
 market up with large fat steers at any time. I was paid 
 $40.00 by a committee of Veterinary Surgeons, for the state 
 of Pennsylvania, to spay eight nice milch cows at Steelton, 
 Pa., in full flow of milk, to test its effects on the cows and 
 on the quality of the milk. I met one of the gentlemen a 
 year later and asked him what they thought of it now, he 
 said they were much pleased and would want more spayed. 
 
 I know abortions of dairy cows, so much dreaded by 
 large dairymen, can be prevented entirely by spaying and 
 not lose more, or so many, as in giving birth. 
 
 I see three kinds of factories to make our beef of, grass; 
 and three kinds of mills to make our flour of, our wheat; 
 the bulls and breeding cows' stomachs are like our old mills 
 were fifty years ago, a poor article at best, the castrated 
 steer well fed makes much better beef; the heifer, spayed 
 when young, and well fatted, the best of all. The bull 
 frets and slobbers over his feed and wastes some feed; the 
 breeding cow takes much of her feed to make a calf; the 
 steer is more quite and makes a better article; the spayed 
 heifer is still more quiet and feeds better yet, and makes the 
 most and best beef out of a bushel of feed, and if at the 
 same age, will sell in market quicker than the steer, for as 
 
 — 59 —
 
 much, or more per pound, she may not grow quite so large 
 as the steer, but she will gain more and net better on a 
 given amount of good food and pay a better per cent on 
 what she consumes. 
 
 I have driven fat cattle, when a boy, from Lexington, 
 Ky., to New York City. I have driven fat cows and bar- 
 ren heifers, all short horns, to Cincinnati for Christmas 
 beef that netted 1,112 pounds, after being killed forty-eight 
 hours. 
 
 I suppose you know that heifers twins with a bull calf 
 are always barren, as though spayed. 
 
 The shrewdest cattle man I ever knew, I think, was J. 
 W. Iliff, of Denver, Col., for whom I spayed 1,407 cows, 
 calves and heifers, every old cow, every very ill shaped cow 
 and all black ones. I think I spayed more than 100 cows 
 for him over fifteen years old, and pulled out all front teeth, 
 if there was any teeth, he said they could eat better with 
 their gums alone than with two or three old snags. His 
 idea was to stop their breeding long enough to get fat and 
 sell them, and buy two two-year-olds with the money the}' 
 brought him, on each old cow. Spayed cows milk continu- 
 ously for several years, and in winter as well as summer, 
 and pay better than to let the cow bull or fret for a bull 
 every twenty-one days, and when bred, to stop that loss by 
 fretting, then the expense of building up a worthless calf 
 commences. No dairyman wants a calf, but milk. No 
 feeder wants a calf, but beef. A fat spayed heifer's beef 
 sells highest per pound, a fat breeding cow much lower per 
 pound. 
 
 Or in other words $20 worth of good feed fed the spayed 
 heifer, or spayed cow, will pay the owner a much better 
 
 — 60 —
 
 profit than the pregnant cow or the bulling cow can pay, 
 and spaying the inferior cows the crop of calves will be 
 better each year, we all know. 
 
 You may say Farmer Miles is a crank on spaying, but 
 that does not disprove his theory. He has spayed from 
 Bangor, Maine, east, to Southern California, and all through 
 the states, and as high as 1,407 at one place, has spayed for 
 men and firms worth millions, has spayed in England, Ire- 
 land and Scotland, of all ages and kinds. J. D. Gillett, of 
 Elkhart, Ills., had me spay 300 thoroughbred short-horn 
 yearlings one year, and the next year 500 of the same kind. 
 I thought that a great pity, but he said spay, and I try to 
 do as requested. 
 
 I feel certain thrtt no man ever saw 800 finer beeves 
 than they made, bred, raised and fed by one man, on one 
 farm of 18,000 acres, in Central Illinois. Why cannot such 
 stock be raised, just as well as scrubs, by spaying up to it 
 in a few years time, and live on the fat scrubs for beef, un- 
 til the scrubs are all consumed, and this land as cattle 
 breeders be known as the wonder of the world. All make 
 both more milk and more money by judicious spaying. 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS TALK TO STALLION OWNERS 
 
 I was passing near Waterville, Maine, in a buggy 
 several years ago, with Dr. Wm. Fairbanks, V. S., of 
 Augusta, Me., when a voice was heard, " Hello there/" I 
 looked out and a man asked "is Farmer Miles there?" I 
 said yes sir. He replied, "drive in, I want to see you." 
 We were now at C. H. Nelson's Steed Farm. Mr. Nelson 
 said to four men "Boys, hook up Nelson, I want the great- 
 est castrater in the world to drive the greatest trotting stal- 
 lion in the world." Saying tome "Farmer Miles, Nelson's 
 
 — 61 —
 
 record as a stallion is 2:0934, and I was offered $100,000.00 
 for him lately, but won't sell him. You get in that buggy 
 and go where you please, but don't you let any one pass 
 you." 
 
 I drove Nelson about two miles and returned, feeling 
 I had lots in my care just then. 
 
 I was also told that Nelson was booked to be bred to 
 thirty mares that season, at $750.00 per mare. In my ab- 
 sence the twenty- second mare arrived at the stud to be bred. 
 The four grooms soon had the harness off, Nelson rubbed 
 dry and slicked up in good order. In that time the mare 
 was tried by another of Mr. Nelson's four or five stallions, 
 and found to be ready to be bred. She was then tied firmly 
 by the halter in a triangular stall that was well padded 
 on three sides, then, after a good set of hobbles was placed 
 on her, to prexent kicking, Mr. Nelson ordered the groom 
 to bring Nelson to the breeding room. I stood by with Dr. 
 Fairbanks and saw the performance, after which Mr. Nel- 
 son said to me "Farmer Miles did you see what I did?" I 
 answered, yes sir, I did. He asked me what I thought of 
 it. I said I never saw any thing like that before, I would 
 thank you for a reason for all your trouble. 
 
 THE MODUS OPERANDI 
 
 When the Stallion leaped on the mare's hips a groom on 
 the off side caught her tail and pulled it out of the way, to 
 the right side, while the first groom held the mare by the 
 bridle, forward. Mr. Nelson grasped the penis from above 
 with his right hand, about seven or eight inches irom the 
 end, not closing his fingers all around or under the penis, 
 but let the horse use about one-third of his penis only. 
 
 Mr. Nelson then said, "Farmer, you see that Nelson has 
 — 62 —
 
 a long rod, and for years was not a sure foal getter, but 
 since I have adopted this rule eighty-five per cent of all the 
 mares he serves, have colts." 
 
 I believe Mr. Nelson's theory is correct. I have re- 
 peated this (Nelson ) practice to several large breeders since, 
 that told me. "I now know why one of my best horses was 
 a failure as a breeder, he was almost barren, also saying he 
 had the longest rod on him you ever saw." Again I person- 
 ally knew of several mares, bred year after year called bar- 
 ren, but, when let run with a young stallion colt out in the 
 pasture, that bred without trouble. That I believe would 
 always have remained barren if hampered and hobbled and 
 helping the horse to pass beyond the proper limit. That, a 
 mare can prevent when loose in the pasture, by stepping 
 forward. 
 
 I have owned ten or twelve stallions and seven or eight 
 jacks and several times, ju^t as the stallion was getting off, 
 it looked as though all of the semen was spilt on the 
 ground. I said to the groom, write on the stud book for 
 that mare, that all spilt out, and let us see the results. 
 Each mare stood from the spilt covers, to my surprise. 
 
 I now remember that the jacks had all advantage of the 
 mare in the stocks, and universally a long root, and went 
 too far and did not prove sure as stallions do. I think that 
 was the cause of failure. I feel certain that mares will all 
 step forward, when loose in the lot, when the horse or jack 
 on them hurts them by going in too far; a violation of ani- 
 mal nature and costly to the owners. 
 
 Western and Texas Cavelry yard studs are good herders, 
 they keep their bands together on their own range near 
 water; owners know where to find them, but he may be the 
 
 — 63 —
 
 worst scrub in the lot. The owner wishing to breed to a 
 better and larger horse sometimes lassoes that little scrub 
 stud and split his sheath, three or four inches long, back 
 between his testicles and push his penis back, and put the 
 end through this cut, downwards, so he cannot draw the 
 end back into the sheath proper. 
 
 Then when a mare comes in season he will mount her 
 frequently, but his penis points downward and he cannot 
 serve her. While so doing the owner or herdsman out on 
 the ranch can see what is needed; will drive the whole 
 band of horses into a yard and separate that mare in a pound 
 to herself and then turn his better stallion in with her, and 
 after service let her go, &c, &c, &c, until the good stallion 
 has served them all; in the breeding season, then lasso the 
 scrub and replace his penis until spring again. 
 
 I am told one of the little scrubs will whip and drive 
 clear away any large well bred stallion. I was also told 
 that strange mares, lotted one night with the little scrub 
 are so subjugated and instructed in the law of wild horses 
 that she dare not desert his band, under penalty of being 
 severely whipped by him, as the king. In this way cheap 
 horses are raised on the range, south and west, at almost no 
 expense, but are also almost worthless, except as herding 
 ponies; are born wild, live wild, die wild and are danger- 
 ous to handle* are not worth the cheap grass they eat. If 
 Congress did not have its hands full now, I think war 
 should be declared against all such scrub ranch ponies and 
 the wolves and coyotes, of our western grazing lands, by 
 killing the meanest ponies first, and sprinkle strychnine 
 on the flesh and call the wolves all up to dine and die, and 
 so on, until such destruction would stop for want of ma- 
 
 — (,4 —
 
 terial to destroy, and let lambs and wool grow on the grass 
 now wasted to feed worthless scrub ponies. 
 
 DOGS 
 
 Why castrate and spay dogs, as a rule, and breed the 
 best; but cut and spay the scrubs? 
 
 ist. Because they kill sheep and chickens, and some- 
 times people. 
 
 2d. Because they are frequently a nasty, noisy, nuis- 
 ance. 
 
 3d. Because that would improve the breeds greatly; 
 rid the country of scrubs and cur dogs and diminish hydro- 
 phobia. 
 
 4th. Because it would diminish the dog tax greatly. 
 
 Then how would we get dogs after the old cut ones die? 
 
 As water seeks its level so would demand be supplied, 
 and that of pure breeds in due time, and profitably. If dogs 
 became scarce, dog farms, as now exist in Maine, would 
 start up, with such breeds as demands called for, only. 
 
 I don't know, but the state legislatures would know how 
 to charge a large license on breeders; nothing on cut and 
 spayed ones, or pups under three months old. The breed- 
 ers would all spay or castrate pups then., before sale, with 
 but little trouble. Like farmers formerly did cut and spay 
 all pigs for pork fifty years ago, and just as easy, when they 
 know how to do it. 
 
 Who would go to all that trouble? 
 
 I think plenty of men would make a business of it. As 
 soon as the law said: Cut and spay, or kill all dogs, or pay 
 a breeder' 's license, men, I think, wanting work, would cut 
 dogs for twenty-five cents or spay bitches for fifty cents, 
 and would be glad to look after all such jobs and would 
 
 — 65 —
 
 report delinquents liable for breeder's fees, until not one 
 was left but breeding dogs and bitches, and cut ones. The 
 breeders to be kept in at home as stock are. 
 
 Who would this benefit? I think, any town, count}' or 
 state. "How?" Like anything first-class is better than 
 second-class. 
 
 Shepherd dogs in Scotland are first-class and instinc- 
 tively take to helping with stock. A well-bred rat terrier 
 will work at his calling when other dogs sleep, and so on. 
 All kinds are needed, but demand for cut or spayed pups 
 of the various breeds will regulate itself; fox hounds will 
 be bought for their work as pointers for birds, but all well- 
 bred and naturally true to their trades. 
 
 What are the dogs you speak of worth? 
 
 I have heard of sales from $10.00 up to $500.00, but 
 have seen many that $50.00 would not buy; should sell as 
 high as cattle do, if bred to perfection in their breed. 
 
 What would a man take for a spayed bitch that his 
 children loved, that would plainly tell him of a thief in his 
 house at night, and that you could depend on to bark if the 
 house was on fire, or would swim in the water and save 
 your child? Many well-bred dogs do such things, but if 
 not castrated or spayed they are naturally too nasty. 
 
 "How" does castration change their nature? If done 
 when young it stops the growth of sexual organs, and of 
 their licking them to keep clean. It stops the male dog 
 also from sprinkling articles of food and clothing when he 
 smells that some other dog has sprinkled there before him. 
 
 Wm. Whitely, of London, said to have the largest store 
 in the world, had hitch racks for dogs near each door, with 
 plain posters saying: "Dogs not admitted." For he knew 
 
 — 66 —
 
 these nasty sprinklers would damage much goods by stains 
 in his store. But worse still: A gentleman in London told 
 me he saw a nice looking lady leading a pet poodle on a 
 main street, five or six squares from her home; she stopped 
 a moment to look in a show window; when she started to 
 walk on, her little Dolly could not lead — a larger dog was 
 trying to pull the other way, and you can imagine her mor- 
 tification in a crowded street. Probably $100.00 would not 
 have been thought of as the worth of Dolly. To let go 
 was to loose Dolly and a $20.00 chain and collar, besides, 
 when fifty cents spaying would have saved all this shame 
 and made Dolly a canine lady pet, for ladies and little child- 
 ren to play with on all occasions. 
 
 I practice what I preach. My dogs for the past twenty 
 years have been spayed bitches, are clean and nice, never 
 go off, don't smell doggy, don't want to play with common 
 dogs, would prefer children's company. There are more 
 spayed bitches in this county than in any five counties in 
 the state. Try it and you will keep no others hereafter, 
 unless you should get part of your farm fenced with high 
 woven wire, and try to raise about five hundred pups a year 
 of the royal stock with long pedigress. I have heard that 
 a box of monkeys was a funny lot, but I think fifty two- 
 months-old pups, in a pound, would be more interesting to 
 me, especially if some gifted trainer had them broke to 
 work in their line, as trainers break colts to do, or go in 
 their line of pacing, racing or to light harness. I mean the 
 best, first, last and all the time. The world buys our horses 
 and cattle why not induce them to buy our dogs. All 
 Englishmen like dogs, even Queen Victoria raises dogs and 
 feeds them well; as regularly as we feed horses. The 
 
 — 67 —
 
 Queen's kennel is noted abroad for fine dogs. 
 
 Again, dogs and bitches, castrated, do not have an appe- 
 tite for sexuality, therefore do not complain for dog com- 
 pany and howl and bark as those with the old nature, and 
 get in some kind of mischief in the night when people want 
 to sleep. Again, worthless dogs are worthless, why allow 
 them to accumulate? They are like weeds in the garden; 
 consumers of what vegetables need and not liked or used by 
 anybody, but liable to spread hydrophia and kill you or 
 your stock. 
 
 Lastly. I have seen blood hounds used to track up 
 thieves, and believe that each county sheriff should keep 
 two or three well-bred blood hounds that would follow up 
 any robber or thief from your house, and land him where 
 his steps stop, and there find both goods and robber and 
 stop much out-lawry, in fear of the sheriff's dogs. 
 
 FOR PASTIME 
 
 If you do not object to reading of some of my travels 
 and trials. I will try to tell you a true account of my first 
 trip to England as a farmer and citizen of Illinois: 
 
 I got an invitation from a noted Veterinary Surgeon, of 
 London, to visit him in 1877. I felt somewhat flattered to 
 go so far as a castrator and said yes. The Russian and 
 Turkish war prevented me from meeting the gentleman, 
 Geo. Fleming, for he was needed in that war with the 
 Queen's life guard horses. But, one year later, October 
 1878, friends in New York City urged me to go. I boarded 
 a steamer with my board paid across, but instead of getting 
 fat I lost all of my fullness, and for nine days a sicker child 
 you never saw, but landed at Liverpool alive and thanked 
 the Lord that it was no worse than it was. I soon got the 
 
 — 68 —
 
 cars and in ten hours reached the Langham Hotel, London. 
 I took a good room, and took a bath, and in that bath I 
 took a chill. I rang the bell, the waiter came, my jaws 
 seemed locked but I said, "A glass of Bourbon." Some- 
 thing was brought and swallowed; in time the fire burned 
 in my room, and the spirits got in its work going through 
 my empty stomache clear down to my toes. I next called 
 for the dining room; between table d'hote and table feed, I 
 got my fill and the next day called and paid my bill and 
 found it took just $6.00 to eat one day when hungry. I 
 had a letter of introduction to my man and took a nice cab 
 and spent the day looking over London for him. I had the 
 wrong numbers by ten too much on the right street. I at 
 last found his office and heard that lie had been married two 
 days and was in Scotland, to be home in a month. I soon 
 found a hotel near his office. Among strangers. Was I 
 lonesome? I should say so. What to do I did not know. 
 What would you have done? I did nothing for a week. 
 Why? Because I could get nothing to try to do, and I al- 
 ways since that pity a foreigner. 
 
 Hurriedly, as I left New York City, the editor of Wilks 
 Spirit of the Times handed me a letter of introduction to 
 Mr. Geo. Fleming, also a V. S. editor. In Mr. Fleming's 
 absence in Scotland I sent this introduction to him in my 
 letter. 
 
 Friend, I want to ask you a question right now, just for 
 pastime: What would you think the editor of the largest 
 horse paper in New York City would say to the editor of 
 the largest Veterinary Journal in London, Eng. , as an intro- 
 duction for a free-born American, as a specialist? The let- 
 ter was not sealed and I read it and came very near tossing 
 
 — 69 —
 
 it in the ocean. Guess again. No, he did not say that. 
 Guess again. 
 
 Mr. Geo. Fleming, Esq. — Let me introduce to you 
 Mr. Farmer Miles, an honest man. Any favor you may 
 show him will be appreciated by me. 
 
 Most respectfully, Geo. E. Buck. 
 
 I mailed that, the only written introduction I ever had 
 except one no better in London, in my letter to Scotland, 
 and soon found he received it by a reply. 
 
 All Londoners seemed strangers to me, and as I thought, 
 wished me to be a stranger to them or leave there. 
 
 I felt lonesome of course in not meeting Mr. Fleming, 
 and getting him to say in his Veterinary Journal that I was 
 visiting him, and friends wishing my services would please 
 call on him at once. So to pass my lonesome hours away 
 I wrote six pages of foolscap, took it to a printer and had 
 2500* printed and mailed to the Veterinarians of England, 
 Ireland and Scotland and some in France. The next morn- 
 ing my landlord said to me, "A gentleman in a cab, at the 
 door, asks for you." I walked out to him. He said, "My 
 name is Pritchard, I stop at the Veterinary College," and 
 further said: "I got a card from you last evening; no I 
 mean a circular, with your address. I am anxious to make 
 3^our acquaintance and have come by to see if you wont eat 
 dinner with me some day. Will you, please." I answered 
 promptly, yes sir, if you have more to eat than you can eat 
 and want help I will help you. He next asked what day I 
 could come. I said an3' time. "Could you come to day?" 
 I said yes sir and asked the hour he dined, he replied "From 
 half-past six to seven." I said Oh! Oh! I don't know 
 that I can wait that long for dinner. His horse was restless 
 
 — 70 —
 
 and fretting to go and we parted. At 6:30 p. m., I stood at 
 his front gate. His house was a large brick on a hill; his 
 yard fence was a heavy brick wall about sixteen feet high, 
 in that wall was a heavy door or gate, by which, on a plate 
 of brass was written plainly ] servants !' a De ^ knob opposite 
 each. I pulled the knob for visitors; the door opened and 
 a servant faced me. I asked, is this where Mr. Pritchard 
 lives? With an emphasis he replied, "This is where Prof. 
 Pritchard lives." 1 told the servant I did not know about 
 the 'Prof but was invited to dine with him. I was shown 
 into the library to await Mr. Pritchard's arrival. Fifteen 
 minutes later when the door opened in walked the gentle- 
 man and took me by the right hand cordially, and with his 
 left hand grasped my wrist and said, "Farmer Miles, I am 
 glad to make your acquaintance indeed, take a seat." I 
 did so, and looking around his large library said, Mr. Pritch- 
 ard this is a large house you have; how much of a family 
 have you? "I will show you" he said, and stepped out and 
 soon returned with his pretty lovely wife, saying, "Mr. 
 Miles, Mrs. Pritchard" and I took her by the right hand 
 and caught her wrist and said, I was so very glad to shake 
 hands with a lady once more, saying I had left home and 
 family two months ago and had been with strangers ever 
 since. Then Tony a little skye terrier was presented and 
 the Professor said "They are all of my family." I replied, 
 not numerous Professor, but lovely as far as they go. 
 
 Dinner was waiting and I was invited to the dining room . 
 and seated to a large table full of meats, vegetables and 
 other good things, lacking cake and pies only. While the 
 Professor carved the roast pheasant and a quarter of lamb 
 and put on my large plate more than I ever ate in one 
 
 — 71 —
 
 day, two nice looking white men as waiters, with white 
 aprons and white caps on, attended us, the first placing my 
 bountiful plate before me The second waiter placed three 
 wine glasses and a goblet before me, and filled my goblet 
 out of a bottle; it looked like water. He then did Mr. and 
 Mrs. Pritchard's likewise. In that time I had tasted from my 
 goblet and found it sweet and delightful and drank half of 
 it, the waiter at once returned and filled it again. I was 
 so delighted with the company of Mrs. Pritchard and not 
 thinking nearly emptied my goblet the second time. When 
 the waiter returned to refill it I put my hand on his arm and 
 said, hold on Mister, I don't know what this is; perhaps I 
 have enough. I held him away but he stood there until I 
 took my hand from his arm, then refilled it, full. After as 
 pleasant a dinner as I ever had, we retired to the sitting or 
 family room and their questions kept me talking all the 
 time. I looked at my watch and was so surprised that I 
 asked Professor Pritchard, what time is it please? 'Oh it 
 is early yet." I said I did not a.^k you that, what time is 
 it please? "Eleven, only," he said Will you please give 
 me my hat and cane? "Oh it is early yet" said he. Yes 
 sir, but I make it a rule not to talk people to death the first 
 visit, and would not sit down. I got my hat and cane and 
 bid them good night, and started to walk about a mile, I 
 now think I was entirely sober, but if some of those lamp 
 posts I passed could have spoken, that we would have had 
 an argument right there. 
 
 I got to my hotel nicely; slept well and felt happy that 
 I had found such nice friends; my lonesome blues had taken 
 wings and gone. At breakfast my landlord handed me a 
 letter; I opened it and read: "Farmer Miles, dear friend — 
 
 — 72 —
 
 I have just met my most intimate friend; he is very anxious 
 to meet you. Won't you please dine with me today and 
 meet him? I took that letter to my room and in answer 
 said: Prof. Pritehard, yours of this a. m. at hand. As long 
 as the grub is as good as it was last night you can depend 
 on my company at any time. 
 
 I rang the same bell at 6:30 and was taken to the family 
 room and enjoyed Mrs. Pritehard' s company for half an 
 hour, when I was introduced to Dr. T. W. Talbott, one of 
 London's best veterinarys. 
 
 These two gentlemen were to me as brothers from then 
 'till now. Friends in need are friends in deed; I then 
 understood. 
 
 Prof. Wm. Pritehard, head of the great Veterinary Col- 
 lege in London, took me four different days out in the 
 country; one time about eighty miles and introduced me and 
 saw me operate. He had over two hundred students in the 
 college. Prof. Pritehard always paid the bills at all times 
 and exacted the strangest favor of me you could think of. 
 If you are not tired I will tell all about it: These 2500 cir- 
 culars I sent to all Veterinarys and some Lords were offen- 
 sive there; many said, "The worst Yankee, the biggest fool 
 
 and the liar of them all is in London now, pretending 
 
 to cut ridgling horses; it never was done and how can he, 
 a farmer, be so smart?" I think it was our third day out 
 and eighty miles away; Prof. Pritehard introduced me to 
 ten rich veterinary gentlemen. Quite a lot of others col- 
 lected to see this American Farmer handle five large ridg- 
 ling horses; one seed only could be seen or felt. I soon got 
 to work and did two nicely at $25.00 each. I then said, 
 come gentlemen this is not fair, I am a cripple and this is
 
 hard work; I will give either one of you $25.00 to do the 
 third one while I rest; take ray rope and knife and go 
 ahead. Prof. Pritchard saw the point, turned his back on 
 me and ha hawed out loud. He then said to Mr. Brown, 
 V. S., one of the ten invited friends of his: "Brown, you 
 never made five pounds in five minutes in your life; do one 
 and rest the gentleman." Mr. Brown replied, "I believe 
 not now Professor," and they all ha hawed. I acted aston- 
 ished and said, this is the strangest crowd I ever saw; that 
 none of you want any money. If you will go to America 
 and offer any Yankee $25.00 for a nut out of a horse like 
 one of these, I think in ten minutes he would show you the 
 seed or paw a bushel of guts out of the horse. But instead 
 of hearty ha ha's the music now was screams and howls and 
 sitting down on the dirty ground in mirth. 
 
 I called the groom with the the third horse, saying, come 
 on, they won't help us, lets go on and get done. And I did 
 the third, fourth and fifth ridgling. These doctors had the 
 time and agreed on one hour and six minutes. While col- 
 lecting my ropes and instruments Prof. Pritchard was col- 
 lecting my pay and handed me $125 00, which he called 
 twenty-five pounds. We washed some at the barn and 
 went to the house and re-washed and took some wine. I 
 talked much more than my share to answer questions. 
 After a splendid dinner and drinks of more kinds than I had 
 ever seen on a table, with two hours more talk and our train 
 coming, these ten veterinary 's thanked me for the most 
 pleasant day they had spent in a year, and all said, "I will 
 collect business at my place for you, and want you to come 
 the day before and spend the night with me" I said to all 
 I will be much pleased to visit you at any time, when $100 
 
 — 74 —
 
 follows it. 
 
 When on the cars tor London that day, Prof. Pritchard 
 asked that strange favor of me; he said, "I want to ask a 
 favor of you." I said, anything in my power Professor is 
 granted, what is it? He said, "Promise me when you are 
 surrounded by Veterinary's in England like you were today 
 and have ridgling horses to cut, that you will not get done 
 before you stop, and offer any of them ^"5 to do one." And 
 because of that promise I made the offer all over England, 
 Ireland and Scotland, but never found a man that wanted 
 any money on such terms. But I heard much laughing 
 over it, &c, &c, &c. 
 
 QUESTIONS, ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS 
 
 Q. Why do some colts swell more than others, all cut 
 at the same time and way? 
 
 A. (The serum) or drip cannot get out and the parts 
 fill up with bloody water, for some men cut a four- inch 
 gash well forward on one side and only a two-inch gash 
 well back on the other side; the two-inch cut, far back, will 
 shut first and swell most every time. 
 
 For example, two plain cases: I cut a nice two-year-old 
 colt for Capt. A. Hulse, East Nantucket, N. Y. I made 
 both cuts alike four inches long, well forward; put my 
 chain over both seeds at once; lifted both seeds side by side 
 three inches up with- colt on his back. I had plenty of time 
 and good help. I took both seeds off at once, side by side. 
 Five days later I happened to pass there and saw that colt 
 he was swelled badly on one side and not any at all on the 
 other side. Because the Captain thought as I took both off 
 at once, t took both out of one gash. He was instructed to 
 open that colt twice a day three inches up for five days. He
 
 did one side that way but the other side was not opened at 
 all, but was grown up tight and swelled badly. The other 
 side had no swelling at all. Remember this was five days' 
 neglect on one side. 
 
 Now let me tell you of a one day's error: I was called 
 by both letter and telegram, from New York, to come to 
 Babylon, L. I., to alter a colt that Dr. Clock, V. S., tried to 
 alter and found two cords in the groin, but no seed. A 
 fine colt in a bad fix. 
 
 That was the worst swelled yearling in one day's time 
 I ever saw. Please notice particularly; Dr. Clock is a good 
 veterinary and a nice gentleman, but was not in practice 
 castrating, and cut five inches further back than I would; 
 then he failed to recognize the testicles that he held in his 
 hand all the time in the cords, as he called them, and felt 
 and gouged around in the colt's groin one hour and ten min- 
 utes, so good witnesses told me when I cut the same colt 
 twenty-four hours later. Swelled as large as a gallon jug; 
 stiff and sore. Dr. Clock soon found the tunics, but failed 
 to recognize the undeveloped testicles from his cuts, so far 
 back. He held the testicles, tunic and all in his hand, 
 pulling and squeezing them and the colt struggling one 
 hour and ten minutes and gave it up. 
 
 I tied that stiff colt; pushed him over gently; turned 
 him on his back, saw the seeds, and tunic not split, all red 
 and inflamed, and two pockets of serum near the end of the 
 sheath. I first split his gashes, from the front end on for- 
 ward about five inches, put my ecraseur on both testicles, 
 striffin (tunic) and all, and gently lifted up three or four 
 inches, and bit both off. If Dr. Clock had have cut as 
 much in front of the testicles on the sheath, as he did be- 
 
 — 76 —
 
 hind the testicles there would have been no swelling, for 
 the drip would have dropped out, but he had two deep pock- 
 ets in the sheath and felt all up and in the groin, and all 
 lacerated parts shed blood or serum or both, to be caught 
 in the sheath pockets and soak through the tissues as water 
 soaks in a sponge. 
 
 Q. Does everybody open colts? 
 
 A. No; but that is best for both colt and owner. 
 
 Q. Why open cut colts or stallions twice a day for five 
 days when you see they do drip right along? 
 
 A. To commence the first two or three hours after and 
 slip two fingers up full length and open them well does not 
 hurt the colt then, and lets out all accumulation of serum; 
 to repeat that twice a day hurts but little and you are sure 
 to have no swelling. But let it alone while the drip comes 
 for four or five days, then try, and you hurt the colt in 
 tearing open the adhesions; you are too late to stop swell- 
 ing, for the serum has lost its outlet and has spread out in 
 the sheath. It is too late to get the swelling to drip out 
 after it gets hard and hot, and feverish. Nature's way is to 
 make the parts hot and cook this serum down to pus (as we 
 boil maple sap down to syrup); it comes to a head like a 
 boil and breaks and runs out as pus. We want to avoid all 
 that pain and fever to the horse; it is easy to do and more 
 than pays for all trouble. Auticeptics are good in opera- 
 tions but I think to keep wounds open until the drip stops 
 is the the best way — for about five days. 
 
 Q. How long does it take for colts to get sound and 
 w r ell after castration. 
 
 A. Any and all colts and stallions, opened properly, 
 should be entirely well in ten days.
 
 MILES" STRING ECRASEUR FOR CASTRATING (different sizes) 
 
 \
 
 SPAYING ECRASEUB 
 
 Q. Do you like the ecraseur 
 best? 
 
 A. I like that principle the 
 best — a crush off. But I make 
 and sell for fifty cents each, a 
 string and ring ecraseur that 
 works like a charm. Farmers 
 need no other ecraseur to cas- 
 trate colts, stallions, rams, old 
 bulls, or to crush any artery with 
 once or twice one-half inch apaTt, 
 then cut off with knife or scis- 
 sors still nearer the seed. 
 
 Nothing else does better work 
 and costs so little as this string 
 ecraseur, but Veterinarys like 
 more show of costly instruments. 
 
 Q. What else does a man 
 need to cut his own colts with, 
 your way? 
 
 A. I think two or three or 
 more neighbors, between them, 
 should have a good set of my 
 
 Ropes and Hobbles S5 00 
 
 One String Ecraseur 50 
 
 One long Spaying Needle. 1 00 
 One Hook Knife (at least) 1 50 
 My book to tell how to work 2 00 
 
 $10 00 
 
 And have the ropes conven- 
 ient in case you want to cast a 
 — 79 —
 
 horse or cow with a nail or snag to take out, or to cast and 
 gentle any wild colt with and break it without getting hurt, 
 and make that wild colt safer all its life. To be cast easily, 
 tied properly, rolled over and over and perfectly conquered 
 at first is the best. 
 
 I handle all wild horses best by casting them and re- 
 casting and sitting en them with robes or blankets and get 
 the fear all out of them. 
 
 My ropes are the thing to cast a cow or mare with in dif- 
 ficult labor; turn them on their backs well tied and push 
 the calf or colt forward to get room; to get the head or legs 
 in position and no one get hurt. Many times such ropes 
 are badly needed if bowels are snagged and out; to cast a 
 large bull, or spay cows and heifers; to cut a wart off of a 
 kicking horse or cow. Casting them is the best way, when 
 it can be done so easily and safely, as this book plainly tells 
 you how to do it. 
 
 $io.oo is very little money for what may save you $100 
 a year, and still be worth ten times their cost annually. 
 Five men can pay $2.00 each and save all costs the first 
 year and do safer and better work than you can hire it done. 
 Do it yourselves. 
 
 Q. If a man wants to see this fellow that does all this 
 talking do the work, how can we see him? 
 
 A. Only get him five or six bad ridglings to cut, near 
 you, and write him. 
 
 Statistics of Agriculture for 1892 tell us that the United 
 States had 
 
 15,498, 140 Horses, at $65.01 each $io,<-75»936-36 
 
 2,314,699 Mules at $75.55 each 1,748,820.70 
 
 16,416,351 Milch Cows, at$2i.4oeach S^^,/ 81 ^ 2 
 
 — 80 —
 
 37.651,239 Oxen and other Cattle, at $15.15. 5, 707, 491.55 
 44 958,365 Sheep at $2 58 each 1,161,212.90 
 
 Let us figure a little on our horses and losses. 
 
 I am confident one in e\ ery twenty head has to he cas- 
 trated annually or 774,907 in number, and that six per 
 cent (by the old ) methods die, entailing an annual loss of 
 over three million dollars, taking the value at $65.00 each, 
 as estimated in government statistics. I am sure by my 
 improved methods that one half of that loss can or would 
 be avoided annually and better methods adopted all over the 
 country, for all time to come. 
 
 O. Suppose I buy your book and ropes and cannot do 
 good work. 
 
 A. Anybody, anywhere, can get a visit from me, or 
 cue of my pupils, at his home by talking up a lot of such 
 work as he thinks he cannot do himself. When we do it he 
 will see it, and talk it, and help to work; then, if he cannot 
 he had better sell the book at cost and quit trying. 
 
 Q. What do you sell besides the book? 
 
 A. Everything required and shown in this book such 
 as I use and my pupils ask for. 
 
 I have castrated and spayed stock almost all over this 
 country and know that most of the work is done poorly, by 
 men who never did know how to do good work. 
 
 I know many men like Dr. Clock that don't know how", 
 and should not try, until they do know more in this line. I 
 know their work for I have to cut what they fail on; that 
 tells me what they don't know. 
 
 — 81 —
 
 TO THE PURCHASER 
 
 Dear Sir — Your book will show, and tell you plainly, 
 the ropes and instruments I use and like best. But it may 
 not be convenient for you to buy such things at your home. 
 Or you may not have leisure time to put your ropes to- 
 gether as well as we do it; for we make them here to sell to 
 our pupils, at the following prices: 
 
 i set Farmer Miles' Castrating Ropes, con- 
 sisting of 
 
 i Back Rope 16 ft. long s/s in. best cotton 
 i Circingle '8 " $/% ' 
 i Chin Rope 10 " y 2 ' 
 2 Knee Ropes 7 " */> ' 
 1 Nose Twitch, wood, flax thread filling 
 4 Hobbles of Flax Thread . . , S 5 00 
 
 Farmer Miles' Ecraseur, metal , . 15 00 
 
 Farmer Miles' Best String Ecraseur, for all 
 
 Farmer's Castration .... 50 
 
 Farmer Miles' Four-Bladed Castrating and 
 
 Spaying Knife, two Hooks . . . 5 00 
 
 Farmer Miles' One-Bladed Hook Castrating 
 
 and Spaying Knife . . . . 1 50 
 
 Farmer Miles' Long Curved Spaying Scissors 6 00 
 
 Farmer Miles' Spaying Needle (curved) six 
 
 inches long, this is the best Needle known 1 00 
 
 Farmer Miles' Spreaders for Ridgling's Legs 5 00 
 
 Sixty-five feet five-eights inch Best Cotton 
 Rope, with Double Snaps and Links, for 
 Ridglings work only, . . . . 4 00 
 
 — 82 —
 
 I send you this list, not that I am a merchant, and want 
 your trade, but just to help you along right, if you should 
 need my help. 
 
 Again, I say, if you would rather buy than make your 
 own outfit, or part of it, look over these articles and select 
 what you need, and name them separately, and the prices 
 to each, and then all, and send me pay for them in P. O. 
 order or registered letter, and be plain in your name, town 
 and county, and you will get the goods promptly, unless we 
 are out and have to wait a few days to have them made; but 
 I will try to keep a supply on hand all the time. 
 
 Yours truly, 
 
 FARMER MILES. 
 Charleston, Coles County, Ills.
 
 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS-URBANA 
 
 3 0112 076559225