Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-04-18
DANGERS IN CASTRATION.
Rupture Is Apt to Occur and It
Is Best to Get Veterinarian
to Do the Work.

Some breeders are bold enough to
castrate their own animals; still more
employ man who makes a living as
gelder but does not pretend to be
veterinary surgeon. The danger in
castration is in rupture.
SO long as the testicles are in the
purse, and their cords are occupying
to a great extent the orificcs In the
belly the obtrusion into the scrotum OF
small knuckle of intestine may be
overlooked unless a very careful eX-
animation Is made; indeed, it may then
escape the intending operators notice
II the colt has been well fastened and
placed upon his back, remaining there
minute or two, as during this time
the small portion of gut will often slip
back into the abdomen.
For this among other reasons, an
old hand will prefer to have the ami
NAL on his side while making an ex-
animation. Some will squeeze the
larynx to make the animal cough by
way of test. If another person does
the coughing" Gas for wind testing
of adults), the castrator's fingers upon
the cords of the testicle will tell him
If bulge is felt and he will then ex-
ercise special PREF autiors.
1t is better far to let a colt get up
again and sacrifice the time than to
proceed without all necessary appli-
ances. Rupturcd colts should never
be entrusted 20 gelders without ana
tomicaI Knowledge, or possessing a
reputation of operating on such cases.
The animal should be prepared by
long fasting, placed on his back, rem
dered limp by the inhalation Of ch.oro-
form, and the testicles removed while
the horse is insensible and unlikely to
struggle.
The veterinary surgeon may choose
to Tut in two or more stitches Of solu-
BILE material across tho orifce now ITO
longer partly occupied by the cord
If his hands and all things used by
him have neen rendered antiscol;c rh;ss
will probably be the best PLAN There
VIII be just enough adhesive inilam-
nation set UP by the sutures to make
a Pug and stop the escape of the gut
afterward. The suturing material itself
will be dissolved and absorbed in
few days.
This suturing material is at once
great gift to the surgeon and a dam
ger if he trusts it too much 1t may
be absorbed in forty-e,ght hours, be-
fore sufficient or Sufficiently strong
plastic material has been thrown ort
to guard the entrance to the abdo-
men, or exit Tor the bowel, as we fear
it may prove,
further precaution may therefore
be taken by putting a few stitches
of insoluble silk through the empty
purse, rather close up to the belly.
This should be well saturated with an
antiseptic, as we do not want a for
nation of pus, although we may have
to leave it for three days or more, II
the subsequent swelling outside the
belly does not satisfy us that it is
safe to remove these outside stitches.
Unless some foreign substance has
gone in while operating there is COM
paratively little danger of peritonitis
or other i'll results. There are other
methods of operations the details Of
which more concern the practicing
veterinary surgeon than the horse
breeder, who should neither attempt
the performance himself nor let an
other whom he cannot fully trust.
1t is to put our readers on their
guard against a reckless assumption
that every colt is normal, and that no
such precautions need be taken that
we offer these suggestions, there being
no use i'm idle regrets when an hour
after castration a colt is found with
his bowel hanging out and beyond as
sistance.
One may perhaps say such cases
have been successfully dealt with, but
the delay is nearly always fatal. If
the animal can be secured ana the
bowel held up by sheet saturated
IL I
surgeon arrives it may be possible to
return that portion of intestine and
retain it while anticipating subse-
quent inflammatory troubles by proper
treatment.