A short and plain explanation of Farmer Miles' methods of animal castration and spaying and after-treatment when necessary ...

Preface

In boyhood I had a natural fondness for animal snroery. My father being a physician, I naturally acquired, through him, more or less knowledge in that line. I moved from Kentucky to lUinois 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 tho.se 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 worthless, 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 animal 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 mercj' to ^T stock yet to be castrated, I am Yours truly.

Farmer Mile.s.

EXPLANATION

About twenty-five years ago I wrote a pamphlet on Castration 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 iti 1878, to .stay one month only, but stayed one year, castrating in all portions of Eiogland. Soon after my return, many students wanted to learn my methods, in my specialt}'. and followed me around, and wanted n:e to go with them to different places, which did not work well.

Several years later I prepared myself to teach my methods 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 plent}^ of work during that time, to show and explain my methods fully to my pupils. In six years I fully in.structed 120 men, only twelve of whom have proven 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 expo.se of my methods, ropes, and instruments, and take the book to England to sell at $25 a copy, as that was what they paid me for every ridgliiig I cut over there, seventeen years before. I sold some of the books at tliat price, but found the price too high, and later sold them at Sio each.

Experience has taught me the necessity of many essential improvements, and I have consequently revi.sed 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 illustrations, so you will more fully know how I do, and fully understand ni}' remarks and advice to you. This revised book will cost you only S2, and after 50U have read it through five or six times and prove yourselt 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 ray string Ecraseur, that you can make and use.

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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 after, that I would ever leave my immediate neighborhood on such business, but I now think I have traveled over more territory in this buNiness, than any ten castraters I ever heard of. and I have tried all known me'hods worth considering. 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 ni}' time and attention to it. I got the prize at our Centennial Exposition at Philadelphia, Sept. 14, 1S76 as the best casirater 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 «.ver\ operation the best I can, which is usually satisfactory to all parties concerned.

THE. NOSE TWITCH.

First, I like a nose-twitch in horse surgery better than chloroform or ether. The best twtch I get is made of a .spoke out ot a buggy wheel, about sixteen inches long, and' flattened at the small end. The loop at the large end of the twitch should be oi one-half inch cotton, (or flax rope, flax 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 movement, twist the twitch until it binds the nose lightly; then, with both hands on the twitch, turn sUnvly, 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 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 stalHons, 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 will now speak of colt or common castration in a general 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 ^ inch seven feet long-. Have one ^ 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 under 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 wnll 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 I 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 i shows; then the back rope around the left fore leg above the pa.stern, running it through the rings as described in the cut i, 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 ankle above the pastern, and draw all up snug on tlie left side, lastly, before casting, have the man holding the halter rop- from the half hitch, in the mouth, through the ring and o\er 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 LOXG INSIDE.

BACK KOPE SIXTEEN F]^hT LONG.

horss'snose around to his left side, and say, "pull gently and hold tight," and down he must go easily as in cut 5, and should lie 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 halter rope tight; confining his head as in cut 3 but want a man to hold that rope. Now I takj 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 atikle 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, while I try to draw that rope un:lerthe hip, and also draw the under hind foot near his bill}' and hold it there, and ask some one "won't you please put this long end over his upper hind foot and giv^enie back the end.?" I then draw it tight as I 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 leit 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 . against each other, but hold

his knees, and hocks and pull the horse tight on their own feet, as chocks, that is right, so iar, 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 halt 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 circingle 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 lie 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 es I

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o 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 introduce the hook No. i here described — 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 fekiii and tunic, and that will expose 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 large veins just below, and repeat on the other side. Each 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 yearling 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 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 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 one or both cords are liable to do. But. in case they do not, only press your left forefinger on the cords in front of the ecraseur, then turn handle back a few turns to loosen chain, then grasp with right hand one chain and jerk it on through the cords and tissue, which will i-aw it off like a mash off, which pull through the loop, and all will be well. I expect to be criticised by thousands of castraters as a crank, but nevertheless 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 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. Later T will describe my string ecraseur.

If you wish a bloodless operation, pinch one, or both cords at once, with your ecraseur 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 doing so longer than five seconds on the first pinch; that stops the circulation in the blood-vessels inclosed in the chain.

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. 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 inside tightly, and let up; all will drop off in from five to seven days, and will be all right.

Ridgling or CryP!orchid Castration. — When talking to my pupils I class as five different kinds. Number i 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 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 enlarged to ten or twenty times its natural size in the abdomen, with serum, pus. or both.

To castrate ridglings I think it very important to tie them in such away that the operator will have every advantage. I will here try to explain my favorite method: 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 decide 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 "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 may use it. Any drj^ 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, 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 3 our nose twitch tightl}^ 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 collar to fit the horse, and put over his head the oldfashioned way., then pass both ends between his legs and outward, cross the same ropes under the first as they go back to the collar, on each side, as ptr 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,

Ridfrlintr flax rope 66 feet loii^f fs size.

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o to fully satisfy all but rigdling castraters. I sell the second Edition at $io to all that want it at that price. But no ordinary 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 ridgling ropes are only to re-tie with after casting, 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 heMd-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 fiee the left hind foot irom 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 puint 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 your left km-e uiuier 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 dowMr 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 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 hocks 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 middle 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

SPREADER.S 20 INCHKS INSIDE.

between the ankles as in cut 9, and tie ihem by putting the spreader loops over each hind foot, then tie around each leg with strings in the spreaders. Please ca.st 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 practice to get them in proper position; also learn to have them held properly afterthey are tied. The operator should keep cool and go slow, use no bad words, and show no cruelty to the poor hoise that has not consented to such treatment, 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, 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 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 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-pound horse, and nine inches in a thousand-pound horse, and ten inches in a twelve-liuudred-pound horse, and about twelve inches up in a fifteen-hundred pound horse, varying only a little from this, o

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o 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, j^et 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 ecraseur and crush off one inch above the .seed and Globus minor. Numbers 3 4 and 5 not explained in this revision, are above the inguinal ring, floating in the abdomen.

A few times I hav^e been called on to altar ahorse with one large seed, after two had been removed, 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 cases of hydrocele (water seeds) may be avoided by cutting high, say three 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 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.