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 A shojj.an'J, complete examination of Farm 
 
 3 1924 021 949 569 
 
Cornell University 
 Library 
 
 The original of this book is in 
 the Cornell University Library. 
 
 There are no known copyright restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924021949569 
 
A Short and Complete Explanation 
 
 Farmer Miles' Methods 
 
 ANIMAL CASTRATION, SPAIING 
 
 AFTER TREATMENT 
 
 WITH ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 By Karivier IvIiles, 
 
 Ctiarleston, Illln.ois, 
 U. S. A. 
 
 
 18 91. ' ' 
 
PREKACK. 
 
 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, where 
 I had a large farm and was raising all kind of stock. 
 There being no veterinary near, I was compelled 
 to frequently use the knife, first for myself, then for 
 my neighbors, as in those early frontier days here 
 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 worthless, and my neighbors would some- 
 times ask me to "cut or kill them." I always did 
 one thing, and sometimes both, but free of charge. 
 In thus experimenting, I obtained a reputation 
 twenty-five years ago which caused me to stop 
 farming and travel most ot the time, in answer to 
 calls, over the entire country, from Maine to Cali- 
 fornia. I also spent one year on the other side ol 
 the Atlantic, in England, Ireland and Scotland, 
 where I performed a great many operations in ani- 
 mal surgery. 
 
 This little book is intended as an expose of my 
 favorite methods, ropes, instruments, etc. I have 
 tried to make it plain and truthful, as well as help- 
 ful, to all castraters. Trusting it will be a benefit 
 
 to many, 
 
 I am, yours truly, 
 
 Farmer Miles. 
 
ANIMAL CASTRATION. 
 
 T COMMENCED the castration of stock in 1850, 
 1 without books, teacher or theory, not thinking 
 then, or for years after, 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 four castraters I ever heard of, 
 and I have tried all methods known worth consider- 
 ing. I have had the counsel and advice of some of 
 the best veterinarians and M. D's at all times. I have 
 liked the business more and more, even so much as 
 to neglect my farming, and have given all my time 
 and attention to it. I got the prize at our Centen- 
 nial Exposition at Philadelphia, Sept. 14, 1876, as 
 the best castrater of ridgling horses in the U. S. 
 A. I do not claim to know it all, but do claim to 
 be in good practice, and to do every operation the 
 best I can, which is usually satisfactory to all parties 
 concerned. 
 
 First, I like a nose-twitch in horse surgery better 
 than ether or chloroform. The best twitch I get 
 is made of a spoke out of a buggy wheel, about 
 sixteen inches long, and flattened at the small end. 
 The loop at the large end of the twitch should be 
 of one-half ijich cotton or flax rope (flax is best), 
 spliced in thirteen inches long, and a large twine 
 
CAi/l I 
 
ANIMAL CASTRATION. 
 
 String, three feet long, should be fastened in the 
 middle to the small end of twitch, like the cut. 
 
 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 hand ; then gently 
 grasp all of the upper lip you can, and, with a slow 
 movement, twist the twitch until it binds the nose 
 lightly ; then, with both hands on the twitch, turn 
 slowly, still 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 double bow-knot. Now ask the man 
 that is to hold the colt's head while casting him, 
 *' Please do not touch the twitch until we are through 
 operating on him." 
 
 In common castration of colts and stallions, after 
 trying all the different methods known, I have done 
 the most natural thing, I think, with my own inven- 
 tions. I have made a choice of all other methods 
 for my own use, and this little book is intended as 
 a full expose and explanation of my present meth- 
 ods 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 will now speak of colt or common castration in 
 a general way. First halter the colt with a leather 
 head-halter, and, if convenient, have a one-half 
 inch rope hitch strap on the halter ; next, half-hitch 
 the under jaw with the rope, and push the lips in 
 under the rope ; next, put on the nose-twitch, as 
 above described. Then nearly every colt will 
 

 
 
 
 I r I II ir , I 
 
 ^ 
 
ANIMAL CASTRATION. 
 
 11 
 
 Stand still while you put a short hopple on each 
 hind ankle, and two on right fore ankle ; then the 
 
 FIFTEEN FEET LONG. 
 
 back rope around the left fore ankle, running- 
 it through the rings as described in the cutf like a 
 thread through four needles, 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 ankle above 
 the pastern, and draw all up snug on the left side. 
 Now ask the two men who are to hold the back 
 rope, to be ready to pull when you give the word 
 " pull." Then ask the man holding the head, to 
 stand at the colt's left shoulder, and with his left 
 hand grasp the rope close to the chin of the colt, 
 and gently turn the colt's head around to the colt's 
 left side, slowly. Then slowly put the halter rope 
 around the left fore leg and hold it in his right 
 hand. All is now ready to cast the colt on a pile 
 of straw, or on some soft ground. The operator 
 should now gently pull five pounds on the tail, to 
 the left, and say " pull," which will cast the colt on 
 
12 ANIMAL CASTRATION. 
 
 his right side at your feet, if the operator and 
 head-holder both push- only a few pounds when the 
 
 /word "pull" is given. An 
 improvement on this cast is 
 
 EACH SEVEN FEET LONG, ^o take 3. knee rope, nail 
 inch cotton, seven feet long, and double it in 
 the center and loop it around the right hind 
 leg below the hock. After you get the hind feet 
 near together then twist the two ends until they 
 close together at the left leg, then tie it — in other 
 words hopple the colt behind, but be sure and tie the 
 knee rope in a bow knot. Do this the last thing be- 
 fore casting ; always remember this is the last tie. 
 Another addition is to put on a surcingle, and 
 instead of the rope from the jaw to and around 
 the fore leg, put this halter rope through the 
 surcingle rather tight, and have the head-holder 
 hold it in his right hand when casting, and still 
 hold it tightly even after the colt is down, which 
 will hold his nose up and back, preventing much 
 struggling. Never allow any man, under any 
 circumstances, to hold the head down when cast, 
 but in place thereof, hold the nose straight up and 
 the withers down by sitting upon the top of the 
 shoulders. 
 
 We will now suppose the colt is on his right side, 
 at your feet, and the head holder is sitting on his 
 withers, pulling the colt's chin back on his side near 
 the left shoulder, unless you have used the sur- 
 cingle, then the head holder's position should now 
 be standing at the withers with his right foot on the 
 colt's neck, near the shoulder, and pulling on the 
 
14 ANIMAL CASTRATION, SPAYING 
 
 halter-rope that is half hitched on the colt's chin 
 and comes under the surcingle to his right hand, 
 enabling the holder to keep the chin up from the 
 ground and back near the point of the shoulder. 
 In this position, with the twitch on, and half hitch 
 in the mouth, nearly every colt will be still. Then 
 the operator should gently take the back rope, and 
 if all the feet are not together now, pull gently with 
 the two men until they are ; then wrap his back rope 
 twice around the left hind ankle and hold it with 
 a ten pound pull, and walk back around the colt's 
 rump, and then draw a fifty pound pull to raise that 
 left hind foot up near the stifle, which will partly 
 pull the colt upon his back. Now, have one of the 
 first two men that pulled, when you first said pull, 
 to cast the colt pull the back rope under his rump 
 tightly, while you hold the same rope near the foot 
 and bearing the left hind foot down close to the 
 stifle. Now ask the other one of the first two 
 pullers to gently Hft up on the colt's right knee. 
 Your pull and his lift should roll the colt nearly on 
 his back. During this time have the man that 
 pulled the big rope under the rump catch a hitch 
 over the colt's right hind foot and draw it down 
 tight and again tighten it, still holding the rope, 
 so if the colt should struggle he can not get loose 
 or hurt any one, in case of a struggle ; and if your 
 rope is not as tight as you like it, again place the 
 rope that is around the rump forward of each stifle 
 and bear down on the left hind foot, and take up 
 all slack rope on the other side, then bear the right 
 hind foot down again, and tighten your tie ; but 
 
AND AFTER TREATMENT. 15 
 
 remember, do not jerk while tightening the rope, 
 or the colt will struggle, for that is horse nature. 
 When the rope under the rump is forward of each 
 stifle and tight, put a tuck under the rope from 
 the foot to the stifle, and half hitch back over the 
 right hind foot, and he is tied, and should now be 
 on his back. To keep him on his back two min- 
 utes while you operate, ask two men, one on each 
 side, or if four men are present two on each side, 
 to stick their left feet, toes foremost, as far under the 
 colt as possible, then pull the colt by knee or hock 
 only back on their feet, which acts as a chock. No 
 one will be hurt though he should struggle. Each 
 man should piill to himself, and not push the colt 
 away from him over on the other man. 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 sur- 
 gery. Almost every man that attempts colt cas- 
 tration soon gets conceited and thinks himself an 
 expert, when in fact he is liable to do great wrong. 
 But let us suppose our colt is now cast skill- 
 fully and tied slowly and safely, and held firmly on 
 his back by our assistants. If the bag, or scrotum, 
 testicles and all are down well, then with elbow for- 
 ward 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 ex- 
 treme hind part of the seed one inch long into the 
 water, then introduce the hook No. 1 here 
 described— all other blades shut — and push for- 
 ward to the point you wish to split to ; then 
 
16 
 
 ANIMAL CASTRATION, SPAYING 
 
 turn the point of hook upward, and with one gen- 
 tle pull split the skin and tunic out, and expose the 
 testicle. Then do the other the same way, about 
 one inch on each side of the septum or raphe three 
 inches long. 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 lit- 
 tle after the hook enters the 
 skin, and you will not cut 
 deeper than the skin, nor 
 cut into large veins just be- 
 low, and repeat on the other 
 side. Each incision three 
 inches long. Now both tes- 
 ticles are exposed with tunic 
 on. Split the tunic and lift 
 the seeds up well, about a 
 two pound pull on each seed. 
 If you use the ligature, 
 which looks well but is the 
 most dangerous of all methods, put your small, 
 strong twine as high on the cord as you can to be 
 below the tunic, and tie by a surgeon's knot as tightly 
 as possible. Cut the cord half off if you can in 
 the tie, for a slack tie and large string is liable to 
 
AND AFTER TREATMENT. 
 
 17 
 
 produce tetanus in a few days' time and loss of the 
 colt. But a better way is the old-fashioned clamps 
 from five to seven inches long, accord- 
 ing to age ; five inches long and one 
 inch thick is large enough for yearling 
 colts, while a large stallion would re- 
 quire clamps seven inches long and 
 one and one-half inches thick, of 
 sumac or some soft wood, with the 
 pith grooved out and the groove 
 greased with lard, and the lard 
 sprinkled over with powdered cor- 
 rosive sublimate, very lightly. These 
 clamps should be put on very tight, 
 from one to three inches above 
 the testicles, according to the length 
 and strength of the spermatic cord or 
 attachments holding them to the 
 horse. I pull up abt)ut two pounds 
 on the average yearling and three or 
 four pounds on the average stallion 
 on each seed, so as to get well up on 
 the cords, and tie them tightly at both 
 ends, then cut the seeds off and let 
 up. In one day or less time take the 
 clamps off and tear all attachments 
 to the cords loose and push them 
 up, but the best way, I think, is tO' 
 use no strings, clamps or hot irons, but a good: 
 ecrasure and the hook knife to get the testicles ex- 
 posed, then grasp them both in the left hand at the 
 same time through the chain of your ecrasure and 
 
18 ANIMAL CASTRATION, SPAYING 
 
 lift up about three pounds on a yearling or six 
 pounds on a stallion. Then with the right hand 
 adjust your chain several inches up on the bloody 
 cord (spermatic cord), but always square across, and 
 sometimes over the exposed ends of the tunic, which 
 is not wrong if you like, but always, after clos- 
 ing the chain over both testicles, and around 
 both cords at once, hold now with the ecraseur 
 in the right hand. Now, take the bloody 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 under the chain; then change 
 hands by grasping the ecraseur near the front end 
 with the left hand, with the thumb resting firmly 
 upon the chain and loop in the ecraseur ; then 
 with the right hand quickly take up all slack in 
 the chain and tighten it some ; then with the left 
 hand grasp the middle of the ecraseur over the han- 
 dle to better hold it, as you should ; then grasp the 
 gimlet handle in the right hand, and turn until both 
 cords are severed or pulled through the loop, 
 which one or both cords are liable to do. But, in case 
 they do, only press your left forefinger on the cords 
 in front of the ecraseur, then grasp with right 
 hand one chain and jerk it on through the cords 
 and tissue, which pull through the loop, and all 
 will be well. I expect to be criticised by thousands 
 of castraters as a common crank, but neverthe- 
 less I propose 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 
 
AND AFTER TREATMENT. 19 
 
 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 
 does. 
 
 If you wish a bloodless operation, pinch both 
 cords with your ecraseur chain one-half inch above 
 where you intend tp crush them both off at one 
 time. Pinch half hard enough to sever the cords ; 
 then loosen and slip the chain one-half inch nearer 
 to the seeds, and crush off. As to turning the 
 ecraseur slowly, I never do. I can not see any 
 benefit by doing so longer than five seconds on the 
 first pinch ; that stops the circulation in the blood- 
 vessels inclosed in the chain. A rupture or scrotal 
 hernia should always be castrated by the covered 
 operation, two or three inches higher than com- 
 monly 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 sucking 
 will be all right when one year old. Umbilical 
 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 in- 
 side, and let up ; all will drop off within from five 
 to seven days, and will be all right. But ventral 
 hernia can not be safely treated in that manner. 
 None but veterinarians should attempt to treat 
 it, and they will need a sheet of zinc, perforated 
 
20 ANIMAL CASTRATION, SPAYING 
 
 and riveted to two surcingles, as a level bandage, 
 and kept on tightly several weeks after the animal 
 has been cut open and sewed together — peritoneum 
 to peritoneum and skin to skin. 
 
 Ridgling or Crypterchid Castration. — When 
 talking to my pupils I class as five different kinds. 
 Number 1 is in the tunic and half way 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 can not be felt, as a rule. Num- 
 ber 3 is above the inguinal ring, and most com- 
 monly there is no tunic below to be found, yet 
 sometimes a contracted tunic is found four or five 
 inches long and empty. 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 rigdHng seed, but seems small. Num- 
 ber 5 was once a plain No. 3, but is now diseased 
 and^enlarged to ten or twenty times its natural 
 sirze in the abdomen, with serum, pus, or both. 
 ^ To castrate ridglings I think it very important to 
 tie them in such a way that the operator will have 
 every advantage. I will here try to explain my 
 favorite method and practice : As I go through and 
 over ten or twelve States each year in answer to 
 calls to castrate, I 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 de- 
 cide for myself, or diagnose each case regardless 
 of what I am told, for owners are so often liable to 
 forget how it is, and make mistakes. I then ask. 
 
AND AFTER TREATMENT. 
 
 21 
 
 •" Where do you wish the work performed?" If I 
 think the place suitable, I take my ropes there and 
 get ready, otherwise I select a place, and ask that 
 we use it. Any dry place, twelve by sixteen feet, 
 is suitable, and five men as assistants are 
 enough — a crowd is not desirable, 
 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, fifteen inches deep, on which 
 spread several old blankets to complete 
 the bed and hold the straw in its place, 
 close to which lead the ridgling, and 
 half hitch the halter strap or 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, f -inch size, and sixty-six 
 feet long, looped in the center for a col- 
 lar to fit the horse, and put over his 
 head the old-fashioned way, then pass 
 both ends between all his legs and out- 
 ward, cross the same ropes under the 
 first as they go back to the collar, on 
 each side, as per cut No. 4. 
 Next put on your hopples as in cut No. 1, to 
 tast him with. The ridgling ropes are only to 
 re-tie with after casting, yet can be used some 
 
//- 
 
ANIMAL CASTRATION. 23 
 
 by one man drawing on the right hand ridgling 
 rope, at the word "pull." The operator should 
 hold the left ridgling rope in his left hand, and 
 when all is ready, as per cut No. 4, 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 free 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 shoulder ; one man should be holding ten 
 pounds on the big rope on the under side of the 
 collar, out forward. Now put you left knee under 
 the left hind leg half way from foot to hock, and 
 bear it in to the horse, as in cut 5, 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 under thigh. Ask some man to draw 
 twenty-five pounds on that rope. While he draws, 
 you lift the left hind foot with your hand enough to 
 tighten, like cut^^^up and between the hocks and 
 wrap around ankle, and then take two half hitches 
 and ask some one to hold five pounds on that 
 
ANIMAL CASTRATION. 25 
 
 rope, which will keep it from slipping and get- 
 ting too long. Now go to the horses' feet, 
 remove the back rope from 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 middle over that ankle, and 
 one end under the leg and one over the arm; 
 tie tightly in a bow knot near the collar. 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 
 between the ankles as in cut o, and tie them by 
 putting the spreader loops ovef each hind foot, 
 then tie around each leg with strings in the 
 spreaders. Please cast and tie other horses re- 
 peatedly 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 practice to get them in proper posi- 
 tion ; also learn to have them held properly after 
 they are tied. The operator should keep cool and 
 
26 ANIMAL CASTRATION. 
 
 go slow, use no bad words, and show no cruelty to 
 the poor horse that has not consented to such 
 treatment, which he will prove by struggling, un- 
 less your nose twitch and half hitch on his jaw con- 
 strains him to lie still, and thereby help you to do 
 your work quicker and better. We will now sup-, 
 pose your ridgling is properly tied and held in po- 
 sition by three or more assistants, as in cut 6, on 
 his right side, with chin up and back, and the top 
 ridgling rope over your shoulder as you sit down 
 flat on the bed or ground, facing the horse, with 
 your legs over his tail ; now grasp the sheath in 
 your left hand, well forward, and make your incis- 
 ion 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, separate 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 canal, pointing from 
 the incision to the inguinal ring, six or seven inches 
 up, according to the size of the horse, your fingers 
 should be only one-half an inch below the black 
 skin ; now oil your hand well with a tablespoonful 
 of the best carbolized olive oil or cosmoline, and 
 insert your hand, with the fingers pointed together 
 cone-shaped, and rotate your left 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- 
 
li ii II if" 
 
 io 
 
28 ANIMAL CASTRATION, SPAYING 
 
 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-hun- 
 dred-pound horse, varying only a little from this, 
 according to the fatness of the horse. A number 
 one ridgling'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, 
 one inch, and with your two first fingers tear the 
 tunic open until the seed slips out, then put on your 
 ecraseur and crush off one inch above the seed and 
 Globus minor. A number three is above the in- 
 guinal ring, floating in the abdomen. My prefer- 
 ence in this operation is, first find the inguinal ring, 
 and rupture the peritoneum as near the ring as I 
 can, a little forward and a little above, with my fore- 
 finger nail ; then dilate the opening with thumb 
 and fore-finger so as to admit of the first two fin- 
 gers, all others shut ; then insert them and feel 
 down and back for the vas deferens, which is a little 
 cord usually within two inches of the rupture you 
 have made, the tenth of an inch in size, but never 
 feel for the testicle ; you would not know it if you 
 felt it, unless your fingers are very soft and sensi- 
 tive to touch. Get some fine sand-paper and scour 
 your two first fingers on each hand until they are i^ 
 very sensitive to the touch before you commence. 
 You need not feel for the bowels ; slip your two 
 fingers down between the bowels and pelvis, gently, 
 
AND AFTER TREATMENT. 29 
 
 and wipe up, and generally you will feel this little 
 cord, and by that wipe you can generally bring it, 
 the vas deferens, up to the rupture, but if you can not 
 raise it, then cross your long finger over the first 
 finger and grasp it between them. Then withdraw 
 your hand until the Globus minor protrudes through 
 the rupture. Then with thumb and first finger 
 grasp it, and rub it, to make sure that it is the 
 Globus minor and the vas deferens inclosed, and 
 then gently pull about one pound. If the seed is 
 large, as is common on aged ridglings, where one 
 has been removed when young, you may have to 
 reach back and enlarge your rupture ; then, while 
 holding the Globus minor with your little finger 
 shut around it, with your forefinger feel the 
 end of the testicle and assist its delivery, while you 
 draw with little finger on the same hand; but some- 
 times the cord (the vas deferens) is not to be found so 
 near. Then feel deeper, but only with the two fin- 
 gers ; aim to feel on the pelvis, behind and under 
 the bowels. There is no certain place where you 
 can always find the cord. I am speaking of the 
 general rule. There are exceptions. When I find 
 a case that has no scar or testicle on that side, and 
 I try, by cutting in, and can not find an old cord 
 below the ring where a seed has been taken from 
 previously, and I make my rupture through the 
 peritoneum and can not feel the cord on the inside 
 at all, I turn the horse over and cut on the other 
 side, and find that it has crossed over. Even 
 though there is a plain scar on the last-named side, 
 or even a testicle there, I go over either, and up 
 
30 ANIMAL CASTRATION, SPAYING 
 
 through the ring, or near it. I never go through 
 the ring, but as near it as I can to keep out of it, 
 for if you go through the inguinal ring you put 
 your fingers in a pocket formed by the inverted 
 tunic, which you can not rupture there, inside, but 
 if by mistake you do get into an inverted tunic, 
 ■draw back and rupture the peritoneum one-half 
 inch forward and slightly above the ring ; do not 
 vary much from this point, for if too high, you can 
 not reach back and down to the cord ; do not go 
 below the ring, or the bowels will follow the seed 
 when it comes out ; but from this point you can 
 reach it, and the bowels will not pome out twice in one 
 hundred operations, and if they should chance to 
 do so, replace them after you get the seed, so as 
 to leave the cord in place in the inguinal canal, and 
 then when standing, slip your hand up again, and 
 if the bowels are in, then they will remain in, espe- 
 cially after micturition. It has been so long since 
 I have had the bowels come down, I scarcely think 
 of it, but in case they did, I would put them in 
 while standing, unless they were down almost to 
 the hocks ; then I would cast the horse. Later on 
 I will tell you some of my experience. 
 
 We come now to number four, where the tes- 
 ticle is in the abdomen, but the Globus minor and 
 some water is in the tunic, and when you first find 
 it will pronounce it a number two, but when you 
 break down the adhesions and grasp the testicle 
 and split the tunic, and the water flies out as in 
 common castration, you will then see that the 
 testicle is too small, and this is only the Globus 
 
AND AFTER TREATMENT. 31 
 
 minor, and you can not pull the seed out through 
 the ring, and the contracted tunic above, there- 
 fore you hadbetter not try. The better way is to tie 
 a string on the Globus minor to gently hold it by, 
 then go on up to the inguinal ring, and rupture the 
 peritoneum as close to the ring as you can, closer 
 than in a number three, and feel for the seed partly 
 pulled down in the upper ring. Now get your one 
 finger around the seed, then let go of your string, and 
 let the Globus minbr go up near the ring, through or 
 ■with the tunic on it, while the testicle comes 
 through the rupture down outside the tunic ; then 
 take it off and draw the string and the Globus 
 minor down as at first and take it off. If you take 
 the Globus minor off first you will have trouble 
 to get the seed ; if you take the Globus minor oft 
 and leave the seed still in, the horse will squeal 
 and cut up more than a stallion, because the semen 
 can not pass out of the seed, for the channel is 
 cut off and closed, and it makes the after castra- 
 tion more difficult, as there is no cord (vas defer- 
 ens), to find and to hold on to, and by which to 
 draw the testicle to you. A number five was 
 once a plain number three, but is now diseased 
 and much enlarged by internal hydrocele; but 
 this is not known at first. You operate as for 
 a number three, and find the zordi {yas deferens'), 
 and then the Globus minor, but the seed will not 
 come through the rupture. Now you should oil 
 your other hand and remove the contents of the 
 rectum ; then insert the hand and arm above the 
 elbow, and feel downward with the hand in the 
 
32 ANIMAL CASTRATION, SPAYING 
 
 rectum ; then jerk on the Globus minor with your 
 first hand, and you will plainly feel a large lump 
 shake as you jerk. Then ask some assistant to 
 get your trocar, and withdraw the spear partly 
 and insert the trocar up by the palm of your first 
 hand, through the rupture made, and then plunge 
 it one inch or more into this lump or tumor, and 
 kt out about a quart of serum or pus, or both. 
 Then the sack, seed and all, will collapse and slip 
 out, and most commonly come well down. Now 
 put your chain up well over all the diseased 
 part and cut off, and all will be as well as though no 
 disease had existed. There is yet another kind,, 
 but so seldom found that we will not call it num- 
 ber six. It was once, no doubt, a number five, 
 but has passed into ossification, and can not be 
 punctured and let out as a number five can. 
 I have offered insurance at ten per cent, on all ridg- 
 lings I got the first cut upon, for sixteen years 
 past, and never had but one to die while insured, 
 and that of the kind last named. I got the seed 
 after it had burst, and left some pus and the large 
 ossification inside. This horse died in six days, 
 and I paid for him. I would remove the ossi- 
 fication if I had a similar case again. I never had 
 a number six to burst before, and was confused. 
 I think that horse could have been saved; still 1 
 would rather not insure such cases. 
 
 The next is a double number three ridgling, 
 where both testicles remain in the abdomen. 
 About one in every eighteen ridglings is a double 
 number three, and all are barren, though very am- 
 
AND AFTER TREATMENT. 33 
 
 orous generally. Ridgling stallions seem to be as 
 sure as breeders as any horses, but remove the 
 seed that is down only and he is a ridgling, and as 
 amorous as ever, but always barren. My observa- 
 tions lead me to believe that double number three 
 ridglings come mostly from mares sired by rigdling 
 stallions, and bred to ridgling stallions, and over 
 two-thirds of all ridglings are left handed, that is, 
 the hidden seed is on the left side. The most diffi- 
 cult ridgling to castrate is one that has been cut 
 into several times and the whole hand inserted ; 
 then the healing process hardens the tissue and 
 closes the natural channel. In such, if bad, cases, 1 
 prefer to cut on the opposite side regardless of tes- 
 ticle or old scar, and cut outside and go up outside 
 the tunic close to the old cord, from which the testicle 
 was removed, or just over it, up to the inguinal ring^ 
 and one inch above, and then rupture the peritoneum 
 and insert the whole hand and part of the arm and 
 feel across on the opposite side. I try to find the 
 cord, the vas deferens, but would not pass the tes- 
 ticle if I found it. In such a case it would be pref- 
 erable to have the horse empty, 1 mean fed no hay 
 for one day. Such cases are usually short corded.. 
 When you get the seed, turn the horse on his back,, 
 for that makes it easier to remove properly. Now,. 
 as this cord is liable to draw back into the abdo- 
 men, pinch it well, then slip the chain one half inch 
 nearer the seed and crush ofT. A number two ridg- 
 Hng is the kind to bother operators that are not 
 careful. They first feel the horse well when stand- 
 ing, and decide it is a number three, as they cam 
 
 3 
 
34 ANIMAL CASTRATION, SPAYING 
 
 feel no seed. They then cast and tie him and 
 hurry to show how quickly they can do such a job, 
 and do not feel a number two, a small seed, but 
 pass by it and find the ring and slightly forward make 
 a nice rupture, and feel inside and find the cord, vas 
 deferens; but the cord is fast at both ends, and so it is. 
 The seed is below the ring and can not be drawn up 
 through the ring. This operation is a failure un- 
 less he finds the seed below the rupture, as a num- 
 ber two. I found three ridglings that cancer must 
 have destroyed one seed in each. I killed the first 
 horse and found the vas deferens down too near the 
 seed, with an old scar all healed up. The next I 
 half castrated only and he remained as quiet as 
 any gelding. The third one I found an old horse, 
 a number three ridgling stallion, with all the attach- 
 ments on the hidden seed, except a scab and sore, 
 instead of the testicle. But I have never found a 
 horse with three testicles, yet I have altered a 
 great many ridglings that I was told had had two 
 seeds taken out of them before I got the last one. 
 Mostly all such had been number fours, with the 
 Globus minor in the tunic, and that was called a 
 seed, but was absent on the seed I got as the third 
 ,one. A few times I have been called to alter a 
 'horse with one large seed, after two had been re- 
 moved, and found it a scirrhus 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 
 <;ases of hydrocele (water seeds) may be avoided 
 by cutting high, say three or four inches above the 
 
AND AFTER TREATMENT. 35 
 
 testicles. I think almost all tetanus may be avoided 
 in castration by using no clamps or ligatures. I 
 think nearly every death may be prevented by 
 proper exercise and medicine after 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 castration with 
 one and one-half pints of raw Hnseed oil, and soon 
 as castrated give him drachm doses of my castrat- 
 ing tincture every three hours : 
 
 Tincture of aconite root, one ounce. 
 Fluid extract belladonna, one ounce. 
 
 Quinine, one half ounce, rubbed down in one half ounce of 
 sulphuric acid. 
 
 Put this all in a pint of water and give twelve 
 ■doses, not remaining up at night. The horse 
 should be walked at least two hours daily. Mod- 
 erate plowing all day is the best exercise to pre- 
 vent stiffness. The oil you use when castrating 
 ridglings should be cosmoline or pure olive oil, and 
 to one pint add one half ounce of carbolic acid. 
 Your hands should be well washed, first with anti- 
 septic solutions, one to two-thousandth parts, then 
 well oiled with this only ; then insert your hand 
 and do your operation with care slowly. 
 
 To follow my former practice, have the incisions 
 ■on ridglings opened well up four or five inches high, 
 
36 ANIMAL CASTRATION, SPAYING 
 
 just before they are walked morning and evening, so 
 as to let all serum drop out, and thereby prevent 
 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 retaining flesh, and make a 
 better recovery if they were opened twice daily for 
 five days three inches high, unless you use the 
 antiseptic practice, of which I will now speak. I 
 used antiseptic tablets of corrosive sublimate, one 
 and three quarter grains, and citric acid 87-100 
 grains, at a strength of one part to two-thousandth 
 (or as per directions on all bottles of antiseptics as 
 put up by Parke & Davis, chemists, Detroit, Mich.),, 
 on my external washings of sheath and scrotum, 
 and double that strength in the cuts and all around 
 the cords in the groin and tunic, and fill the wound 
 with iodoform, and sew up the incision, and try to- 
 heal all by first intention in any and all castrations, 
 and I like it much. I think, with practical applica- 
 tion, it must soon become the only way — but,, 
 reader, I am not a veterinary surgeon nor a drug- 
 gist. If you are either one, you ought to know 
 more about medicine than I do ; if you are neither,, 
 get some good veterinary surgeon to more fully in- 
 struct and help you. 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 try- 
 ing 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 her- 
 maphrodite that I altered. I have successfully 
 
AND AFTER TREATMENT. 
 
 37 
 
 castrated nine or ten hemaphrodite mares, find- 
 ing several just like number two ridglings ; the 
 others were as double number three ridglings, ex- 
 cept the mammary glands were of the usual size for 
 mares, and I cut outside them, and went up to the 
 inguinal ring, and ruptured the peritoneum, just as 
 on the ridgling horse (the same operation), and I 
 never knew one to die. I have cut them from four 
 months old up to four years old. 
 
 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 inflame, which I think is bad. I 
 have known a few grown bulls to bleed to death 
 from castration. In such cases, I think a large 
 string tied around the top of the bag in a bow- 
 
38 ANIMAL CASTRATION, SPAYING 
 
 knot for two or three hours would be best, and do 
 no harm. I have castrated quite a number of 
 ridgling bulls, the most of which were double num- 
 ber threes, and 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 (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 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, cut- 
 ting only through the skin and tissue to the red,. 
 sHck beef Now draw the hinder flap of this cut 
 back one inch and then puncture the flesh and per- 
 itoneum 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 
 cosmoline 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, and 
 very small. To remove it, pull and twist. It 
 should break off where the cord is small, five 
 or six inches long. 'The lip covers the rupture,, 
 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 hun- 
 dred pounds, but shoats of fifty pounds can be 
 cut by using only two fingers in the side ; but 
 
AND AFTER TREATMENT. 39 
 
 decide before you cut in on which side the seed is 
 by the testicle or scar behind, and cut on the side 
 it is located. On the large hog there is no differ- 
 ence about sides, as the whole hand is inserted, and 
 either is within easy reach. 
 
 To spay sows, I cut in the same place. On a 
 sow ol 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 down, to the lean 
 flesh, and pull the hind lip back, and puncture to 
 the bowels back of the cut one-half an inch. Then 
 introduce just two fingers on the left hand, and 
 bear down in the hog, and wipe back on the loin 
 with the fingers to catch the ovary. "O^^ri remove 
 it, and follow the uterus /down one^i^te to the 
 junction, then up the other itSbm to the other ovary, 
 and remove it, and sew^ith 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 fingers nearer to the 
 ovaries, and keeps the bowels in at the same time. 
 The hog should He flat on the ground on its right 
 side, with two men holding each foot in a hand, and 
 stretching lengthwise, with the mouth open. This 
 is the preferred 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 T spayed hogs. 
 
 I do like, however, the work of spaying cattle. 
 
40 ANIMAL CASTRATION, SPAYING 
 
 Yearlings 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 most avail- 
 able and convenient. Let us suppose we have a 
 lot of fifty cattle to spay to-day, mostly yearlings, 
 and have five men as helpers, and have choice of a 
 large lot of one acre, or a small lot of fifteen feet 
 by thirty feet, or a barn floor. If the weather is 
 fair, the small lot will be best ; if rainy, the barn 
 is preferable — the acre lot is too large for conven- 
 ience. Now, all ready in the small lot, the catcher 
 should be a plucky fellow, and catch the first year- 
 ling 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, and hold 
 it so one minute, wheh 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 
 hopple-rings as above named, and have one man 
 to hold them tightly. Now 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, and 
 wash with antiseptic solution, strength, one to four- 
 
AND AFTER TREATMENT. 41 
 
 thousandth part. Then make your incision about 
 five 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 back to 
 belly. I like the hook No. 2 best in this opera- 
 tion, and use it entirely in all my spaying; but if 
 you have something better to make the incision, 
 use it ; then draw the hinder lips of the incision 
 back one inch and puncture through the flesh 
 there ; then insert your two front fingers surely 
 through the peritoneum; then tear the beef by 
 pulling with one hand and pushing with the other 
 hand, until your left hand will slip in easily when 
 ■oiled with cosmoline, 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 
 four 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. 
 •- To remove the ovaries, I first find them with my 
 left hand and shut my hand on the ovary. I then 
 
 put my long curved spaying scissors, points down- 
 ward, on my arm, and push down my arm to my 
 hand. Then in my hand I opdin the points of the 
 scissors, and clip the ovary off while under my 
 flexed fingers, with no danger of nipping a bowel. 
 
42 ANIMAL CASTRATION, SPAYING 
 
 I like dull flesh scissors next to the ecrasure to 
 crush off with, and much more convenient inter- 
 nally. When both ovaries are removed, 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 thousand. 
 
 Vaginal spaying of cows Is the preferable way,, 
 but it is seldom that our cattle are large enough, 
 and it is rarely done. What little spaying I have 
 done on cows and mares per vagina has been done 
 with rude instruments oi my own — a spear eighteen 
 inches long, with a hook half an inch behind the 
 point to cut back with, and surgeons' curved 
 scissors twenty-two inches long. 
 
 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 be- 
 hind 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 
 
AND AFTER TREATMENT. 43^ 
 
 long curved scissors, cows and mares both alike- 
 No after treatment is used. 
 
 When I spay mares in the side, I cut as on a 
 cow. I dress with antiseptic solution and give cas- 
 trating tincture, as to a 'ridgling, to keep down 
 peritonitis ; but one in six die, and I think the rea- 
 son for it is that they are not in good health, the 
 ovaries are diseased and inflamed at the time ; one 
 or both. 
 
 To spay a bitch of any size or age, I first tie a 
 strong string, three feet long, with the middle of 
 the string over the nose and the first 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, according to the 
 size of the dog, loop one end above each hock. 
 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 inches below. 
 Next loop the ends of another string four feet long 
 around each front leg. These you can slip up or 
 down on the front legs to suit you afterward. Now 
 have the collar rope fastened below on the wall on 
 a nail or ring, to hold the head down, 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, hold- 
 ing the front legs, and adjust it. 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. Now make your incision on the median 
 
j|Pfi;!:i|pi|i|ii,ii;i|j|i|!f!i!P!|i';^ 
 
ANIMAL CASTRATION. iS' 
 
 line from between the two hind teats, to or a little 
 below the next two teats, into the bowels. Now 
 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 fore- 
 fingers pointed together as a pair of forceps, and 
 all other fingers shut, insert the two fore-fingers, 
 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 forcep 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, nor two on a 
 pup six months 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 is as small as a pea, and fast 
 to the loin, and in a sack. Tear the ovary loose 
 and up with the right finger nail. Then the uterus 
 is strong enough to Hft the ovary up to the open- 
 ing. Now put your artery forceps on, and pinch 
 all attachments half an inch from the ovary, and cut 
 the ovary off with small curved scissors, and leave 
 forceps 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 > 
 the uterus besides. 
 
46 ANIMAL CASTRATION, SPAYING 
 
 I like to sew up with the uninterrupted suture, 
 and 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 the pup's uterus, you find, with no delay, 
 uterus, pups and all, and draw them all out and 
 detach the ovaries 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 fatty attachments with - the vagina, one 
 inch above the mouth of the uterus, tightly, and 
 cut off and take out the whole uterus, pups, 
 ovaries, and all 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 Jthe next day, I think it much better to have 
 them empty of food, 
 
 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 
 such surgery at the strength of one to two-thou- 
 sandth part, mostly used upon your hands, but 
 some in and on the wounds. 
 
 I think the stitches should be removed the sec- 
 ond day on cats and dogs. 
 
AND AFTER TREATMENT. 47 
 
 CAPONIZING CHICKENS. 
 
 The most perplexing castration I find is the 
 ■caponizing of chickens. I have removed, as I sup- 
 posed, 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 re- 
 quires great care, and a fair chance, small birds ot 
 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 be- 
 tween 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 fore-finger 
 on the hip bone and across the flank to the first 
 rib. Then stick your knife in a half-inch deep 
 
48 ANIMAL CASTRATION, SPAYING 
 
 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 
 
 KNIFE. 
 
 GEIPPERS. SPBEADEES. 
 
 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 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 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 caponizing instruments, split be- 
 tween the ribs with any knife, and take two wires 
 a foot long, bend a hook on one end of each and 
 have a boy hold the ribs apart as wide as you like 
 them, while you work. Next have a small ecraseur 
 
AND AFTER TREATMENT. 49 
 
 of your own make out of a goose quill. Cut off 
 the lower point and cut a hole in 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 of the hair, and 
 pull all out while you push down to keep it tight,. 
 
 QUILL AND HORSE-HAIR. 
 
 and pull seed, tunic, and all out clean, and you 
 will have no slips. This will work on small chickens, 
 but can not be used on three or four pound young 
 cockerels. 
 
 You may ask what is the good to castrate so 
 small a thing as a chicken of one or two pounds 
 weight. I think no other castration pays so well, 
 both in the increase in size in one year and the in- 
 crease in the quality of the flesh. Grown roosters 
 (or cocks), especially old ones, sell at the lowest 
 price per pound of any meat, while his brother, it 
 properly caponized when young, is the highest 
 priced meat per pound in New York market any 
 February. If for home use, you will find him both 
 very large and fat, and tender as a broiler, a deli- 
 catfey that rich men enjoy when they can get them^ 
 even at twenty-five and thirty cents per pound. 
 
 Every farmer may make capons and eat the best 
 meat the country affords at less cost and trouble 
 than old roosters have been to him. Castrate pigs 
 
 4 
 
50 ANIMAL CASTRATION, SPAYING 
 
 and calves and feed them until grown, then fatten 
 them and sell them at six cents per pound, when 
 you can castrate the chickens, raise and fatten them 
 to weigh twelve pounds or more, and sell them at 
 twenty-five cents per pound. Why this difference 
 in price? Only because they are the best. Then 
 why not have the best, when so easily obtained 
 out of our large breeds of chickens ? I have about 
 forty white Brahma capons now fat and fine. 
 Come and dine with me any day in the spring sea- 
 son and you will get the best I have. Come, and 
 welcome. I never was pig enough to want all the 
 ^ood things myself. 
 
 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, "She 
 was boiling hot inside;" but I proceeded with my 
 work without washing my hands or instruments, or 
 using any antiseptics, and spayed three more and 
 altered the colt. Within a week the heifer I men- 
 tioned, 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 alter five ridglings and one 
 stallion at Dr. Wm. Sheppard's, M. R. C. 4/^'6-^ 
 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 
 
AND AFTER TREATMENT. 51 
 
 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 thermom- 
 eter per rectum, and if the temperature is above 
 one hundred and one degrees, defer your opera- 
 tion and give some sort of physic and come again. 
 When you do operate, have clean hands and in- 
 struments, 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 
 
52 ANIMAL CASTRATION, SPAYING 
 
 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 dis- 
 temper, and were obliged to go several miles in a. 
 hard rain and deep mud ; and, from general appear- 
 ances, I feared would have poor stables and atten- 
 tion at home. But my circulars in our correspond- 
 ence 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 handker- 
 chief I was called to alter a number three ridgling" 
 at Terre Haute, Ind. I got him down and tied. 
 I then made an incision 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 overcoat on the fence. I took it and crammed 
 it high up in the inguinal canal, and let the horse 
 up, and down came his bowels again. I caught 
 them, and with little difficulty replaced them once 
 more while standing, but forgot the handkerchief 
 I soon missed it, however, and supposed I now had 
 a new and desperate case on hand, but I had no- 
 
AND AFTER TREATMENT. 53 
 
 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 fingers 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 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 
 3,11, that lived and did well. There is a dog here 
 now that never was born ; 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 
 successfully. 
 
 I was called by Jack Pierce, my friend, to alter 
 three ridglings, about forty miles from here. The 
 £rst one had been cut into, without success, twice be- 
 fore, and was healed up tightly, and was hard and 
 calloused in the groin. This horse was badly 
 stringhalted at that time on that side. By chance 
 
54 ANIMAL CASTRATION, SPAYING 
 
 that horse was cast first, and with much trouble cas- 
 trated. 
 
 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 hopples and back rope, and soon re- 
 placed 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 in- 
 guinal 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 some- 
 thing was wrong. I returned at once and found 
 a bucket full of bowels out and the horse down in 
 the dogfennel and weeds and quite sick. _ We put 
 the ropes upon this one the fourth time ; next 
 picked the 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 rup- 
 ture up. I then split into the inguinal channel as 
 high as I could conveniently, about half way 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 suture around the 
 channel above. That horse made a good recovery^ 
 
AND AFTER TREATMENT. 55 
 
 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 afterward, and the antiseptics were used 
 freely. He did well in recovering. 
 
 SOME OF MY MISTAKES ON DOGS. 
 
 I spayed an eight-months-old pup, and by mis- 
 take got one ureter instead of one horn of the 
 uterus, and it broke 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 filled up, seemingly with water. 
 She broke at the incision several times, and the 
 water ran out, but she finally got well. 
 
 I spayed a four-weeks-old pup, and made the 
 same mistake, and it lived. But the nicest job I 
 ever did in spaying was on three three-months-old 
 pups. The second one was spayed 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 danger of doing. 
 The same man wanted some pups' tails cut off. I 
 
56 ANIMAL CASTRATION, SPAYING 
 
 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 
 preference is to cast the horse with my four hopples 
 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 ft? 
 
 To cut the upper cord or muscle 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 little. I put my blade 
 in half an inch below the hair, sideways, 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 to only make one cut, and tie the tail 
 around to the opposite side for one week or longer. 
 
 I am often called to do something for fistula on 
 horses. In the first stage, when filled with serum, 
 I think half turpentine and half fish oil liniment, 
 applied daily for a week, will drive it away by 
 absorption soon after application ; but all cases with 
 pus in them should be opened well, and the open- 
 ings filled to the bottom of each pipe with lumps 
 of bluestone for five days — lumps, not powder, as 
 the latter floats out, but the lumps remain in. After 
 
AND AFTER TREATMENT. 57 
 
 five days, generally, the sack or pipes can be drawn 
 out. Then fill all openings with salaratus for two 
 or three days. If the pipes will not pull out then, 
 repeat the bluestone four days longer. After the 
 salaratus has been in two or three days I like to 
 cut well on each side over the pockets, so as to get 
 my hand, or fingers at least, to the bottom of all 
 pipes, and fill them all full of absorbent cotton, 
 ■which should be removed daily and the sores washed 
 ■with tepid salaratus water and refilled with absorbent 
 cotton. If the cotton is inclined to come out, a 
 stitch may be taken across the incisions to hold it 
 in. Large openings at the top are best, and should 
 be kept well open until the bottom heals up. If 
 diseased bone is found, as the vertebrae sometimes 
 are, the dead bone should be cut out with bone for- 
 ceps. Sometimes such fistula cuttings bleed freely, 
 but I never knew one to bleed over two gallons, 
 and I think frequent blood letting good in fistula. 
 The worst case of fistula I ever saw I tapped in the 
 middle of the neck, and took out four gallons ot 
 thick pus and dead tissue. There was no enlarge- 
 ment in the withers, and it had never broken or 
 run. The whole neck seemed double the natural 
 size. 
 
 I had a similar case about half as large, filled 
 with serum only, which got well in a short time by 
 being kept open well while running out on pasture. 
 
 DEHORNING. 
 
 I never met a farmer who knew nothing about de- 
 horning but objected to such cruelty. I also never 
 knew one who had had twenty cattle dehorned but 
 
58 ANIMAL CASTRATION, SPAYING 
 
 was in favor of it always afterward. I am most decid- 
 edly. I think it a great prevention of cruelty to 
 animals. The best way is to blister the horns ofl 
 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. Year- 
 lings 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 foi 
 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 witl not be seen at all foi 
 none die from dehorning and the cost is so slight, 
 They feed, handle and ship better, as well as seL 
 better, without horns. Try it and be convinced. 
 
 PRICES. 
 
 In the Western and Middle States the commor 
 price for ordinary castration is generally one doUai 
 per head, in small lots, but for yearling mules anc 
 colts in large droves, twenty-five cents each is 2 
 common price — that is for seventy-five or one hurt 
 dred in a place. In the Eastern States the price ij 
 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 
 
AN© AFTER TREATMENT. 59' 
 
 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 entirely of 
 late years, but have altered nearly one thousand 
 standing. I never did but one ridgling standing,, 
 and will never try another that way. I suppose I 
 get better prices than any castrater 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 year- 
 lings 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 what my 
 charges were. I told him ten dollars each — he ob- 
 jected to the price and paid me fifteen dollars each. 
 Last year I altered eleven plain colts for him, and 
 charged one hundred and ten dollars. 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 saying, " Farmer Miles, when can you come 
 to Saratoga and alter four plain colts? J. B, 
 Dyer." I answered, " I can go to Saratoga, N. Y.,. 
 
OO ANIMAL CASTRATION, SPAYING 
 
 and alter four plain colts nicely, Dec. 10, for sev- 
 ty-five dollars, if answered soon, saying come." 
 In three days I received a telegram saying, 
 "Farmer Miles, your seventy-five dollar rates are 
 satisfactory. Come Dec. 10." I went and got his 
 seventy-five dollars, and his thanks, also. 
 
 Dec. 20, 1888, I was again called to castrate 
 seven plain colts for J. B. Dyer, and did so, 'charg- 
 ing him one hundred 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. Thorne, of Hen- 
 ■derson, 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 ruptured, 
 heavy stallion, near Pittsburg, Pa. 
 
 The most difficult operation I ever did on a fine 
 l)ull, 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 
 
AND AFTER TREATMENT. 61 
 
 then replaced them. Also put the testicle on that 
 side in, rather than remove it, and sewed all up, 
 with antiseptic, in which Dr. Withers, V. S., 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. W. IHff, of 
 Denver, Colo., and I climbed a small pole about 
 twenty-five times, besides, when I was tired. I 
 presume you would like to know what pole climb- 
 ing had to do in spaying cattle ? It saved my life 
 many times. It is very easy to do when a fellow 
 knows the cow is very mad, and comes at him. 
 double quick, with such long horns, out on the 
 plains, thirty miles from any tree or house. I some- 
 times 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 neces- 
 sary. Mr. Iliff had fifty-five thousand head, and all 
 as wild as buffaloes. 
 
 The most large horses I ever altered in one day 
 was sixty-six head for Lux & Miller, of San Fran- 
 cisco, 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, Colo., 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. 
 
'62 ANIMAL CASTRATION, SPAYING 
 
 I felt proud to cast a very vicious ridgling horse 
 for Mr. Case, in the Veterinary College, London, 
 Eng., and castrated him in good order, before a 
 large crowd of veterinaries there, who always 
 treated me as kindly as if I was a veterinary my- 
 self, with a large diploma. 
 
 I have castrated in the veterinary colleges of 
 Paris, France ; London, Eng.; Glasgow, Scotland; 
 Montreal, Canada ; Boston, Mass.; Chicago, 111., 
 and in other cities too numerous to mention. I have 
 spayed cows for the State of Pennsylvania, and 
 have castrated colts for the Baltimore & Ohio Rail- 
 road Company, two of the richest firms any cas- 
 trater ever worked for. 
 
 I felt pleased to be permitted by George Flem- 
 ing, F. M. R. C. V. S., to alter one of Queen Vic- 
 toria's Life Guard horses, free of charge, 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. V 
 
 I went to England in September of 1878, 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 re- 
 ceived while in England and Ireland by the veter- 
 inary surgeons there, and of their universal kind 
 treatment and hospitality. Where I expected rival- 
 ry and competition, I found all helps and kind treat- 
 
AND AFTER TREATMENT. 63 
 
 ment. I now wear a gold watch — a timer — pre- 
 sented to me at Drawhada, Ireland, and inscribed 
 thereon as follows ; " Presented to Father Miles 
 by Messrs. Drummond and Jones, Veterinary Sur- 
 geons, 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 wit- 
 nessed Mr. T. C. Miles' operations upon ridgling 
 horses, desire to bear witness to the humane, scien- 
 tific and perfectly satisfactory manner in which he 
 attains his object. We also wish to express our 
 approval of his method of casting and securing the 
 animal, and of the instruments he uses in the per- 
 formance of the operation." 
 
 This was signed by fifteen of the best veterinarians 
 in Central England, and sent to me most unexpect- 
 edly 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. 
 
 The pictures in this book are of a horse bought 
 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 
 
64 ANIMAL CASTRATION, SPAYING 
 
 pupil, while examining the parts, as I progressed 
 in his castration. Of course he was as mercifully- 
 treated as possible, and with clean hands, well 
 oiled. Still he was kept tied down for more thaa 
 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 common in castration 
 in that time, and was used daily while recov- 
 ering. He was not given the pint and a half of lin- 
 seed oil previously, as recommended, but was givea 
 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 opera- 
 tors on ridglings can safely and well perform all such 
 castrations, if they will strictly follow the contents 
 of this 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 tieing 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 
 satisfaction of all present, and then be paid one 
 hundred dollars cash in hand, and complimented for 
 
AND AFTER TREATMENT. 65 
 
 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 will 
 like it more and more. 
 
 Believing I have given all of the necessary in- 
 formation upon this subject, I wish, before closing, 
 to say to all readers of this little book, as I gen- 
 erally say to the crowds of friendly 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 man 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 to do the work skillfully and quickly, 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, suf- 
 fers pain and is entitled to all human kindness ; and 
 I believe there is no greater crime in the annals ot 
 inhumanity than the torture or recklessness which 
 may produce pain and suffering in this noble animal. 
 And I do hope and trust that all who may try to fol- 
 low my footsteps in the surgical part of this work 
 
66 ANIMAL CASTRATION. 
 
 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 ani- 
 mal fettered or bound a moment longer than is nec- 
 essary. 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-by. 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, tht^ee in one. I believe as old Paul said 
 to the Athenians, the time of this ignorance God 
 winked at, but now commands all men everywhere 
 to repent. I think good works are good fruits for 
 beUevers 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.