Castration of bulls by means of clams has been practised in many different forms.
Fig. 315.—Crushing the testicular cord. (This method is to be strongly condemned.)
Castration by the Exposed Method.—The operation is the same as in the horse, the scrotum being incised on either side, and the dartos, connective tissue, tunica vaginalis scroti, and tunica vaginalis testis being divided. Short clams are applied to the cord, and the lumen of the arteries is completely obliterated in five to six days, when the clams can be removed.
Instead of an incision being made for the removal of each testicle, the scrotum and dartos may be divided in the middle line, after which incisions may be made to the right and left respectively, exposing the fibrous tissue and enabling the testicles to be enucleated. A clam may then be applied to each cord, or the two cords may be included in one pair of clams.
This method has the advantage of inflicting less injury on the scrotum, a point which is of some importance in animals destined for slaughter.
Castration by the Covered Method.—This operation is identical with the preceding, except that the incision of the scrotum does not involve the cremaster and fibrous tunic, or the tunica vaginalis scroti.
CASTRATION BY TORSION.
The cord may be twisted throughout its entire length or torsion may be limited to a part of the cord, hence the two methods hereafter described.
(a) Limited Torsion.—The testicles are exposed as in castration by the open method. The cord is then drawn forward and fixed by means of forceps applied just outside the scrotum; ¾ to 1 inch below this point the torsion forceps are applied. The cord is slowly twisted, and usually ruptures about the centre of the fragment included between the two pairs of forceps.