- A—Scent Sac
- B—Muscular Envelope
- C—Discharge Duct
- D—Discharge Papilla
- E—Vent
- F—Wall of Rectum
- G—Cut to Sever Duct
- H—Original Incision
- I—Rectum
- K—Sphincter Muscle Encircling Vent
- L—Scent Sac Pushing Through Incision
9. The operator wraps the gunny-sack snugly about the skunk while the assistant releases his hold on the nape of the neck.
10. The assistant now immediately places the forefinger of his left hand with light pressure over the vent, while the operator proceeds to turn the skunk on its back keeping the gunny-sack wrapped firmly about the animal.
11. Now only the tail and butt of the skunk are exposed to view. The gunny-sack covers all four feet and head so there can be no scratching or biting.
12. The operator brings his knees together over the plank and thereby holds the skunk. This enables him to have both hands free.
13. The operator now relieves the assistant by placing the fore-finger of his own left hand over the vent. With the thumb of the same hand he locates the scent gland just to the right of the vent. The gland is easily recognized as feeling hard and round like a marble beneath the skin abreast of the vent, neither forward nor backward from the vent.
14. Having the thumb and fore-finger about an inch and a quarter apart the operator now squeezes the gland tight enough to draw the skin firmly over it. His right hand is free.
15. With a piece of cloth dipped in the carbolic solution he moistens the fur and skin held between his thumb and finger.
16. With the scalpel, starting at least three-eights of an inch from the vent so as not to injure the sphincter muscle which encircles the vent, the operator makes an incision through the skin about five-eighths of an inch long directly over the center of the scent gland and in a straight line with the vent, as shown at H in Fig. 1.
17. The incision is now carefully deepened until the firm, gizzard-like envelope in which the sac lies is reached. The beginner is likely to mistake this firm, muscular envelope for the sac itself because the envelope is lighter in color than the tissues previously cut.