70 Journal of Agriculture. [8 Feb., 1907^ 



side, a pledget of antiseptic cotton-wool should be applied, and supported 

 in position with a clean bandage, and the horse let up. The bandage 

 need not be remo\ed for twenty-four or forty-eight hours, by which time. 

 if the operation has been performed in a cleanly fashion, the wound will 

 have commenced to heal, and will require little further attention. 



Great care is always required in the shoeing of an " unnerved " horse, 

 for, in case a " prick " or other injury tO' the foot is sustained, no pain 

 will be felt, and therefore no warning lameness will be noticed until, per- 

 haps, irreparable damage is done. It is one of the drawbacks to the 

 operation that extensive inflammatory changes may occur in the foot 

 without any noticeable sign being given. Cases ha\'e occurred in which- 

 the first indication of anything wrong, has been the casting of the hoof. 



Paracentesis (Tapping). 



Paracentesis thoracis (tapping the chest) is an operation performed 

 in cases of hydrothorax (dropsy of the chest) or empyema (pus m the chest) 

 — -for the removal of the contained fluid. The instrument used is either 

 a trocar and canula or, preferably, an aspirating syringe. The skin is^ 

 divided with a lancet, just in front of the fifth or sixth rib, and at a height 

 suflficient to allow of the drainage of about one-half of the contained fluid. 

 The skin should then be stretched to one side, and the trocar or syringe 

 needle inserted in a direction slightly upwards, so as to facilitate the 

 discharge of fluid. On removal of the trocar, the stretched skin is allowed 

 to slip back, and so seal the deep opening, made by the instrument. 



Paracentesis abdominalis (tapping the belly) is an operation per- 

 formed in a similar manner to the foregoing, but in the abdominal region, 

 in cases of dropsy of the abdomen (acites). 



Peri osteotomy. 

 This operation Avili be described when the treatment of splints is 

 being given. 



RUMENOTOMY (PUNCTURING THE PaUNCh). 



This is an operation performed on cattle in cases of hoven, tympanitis, 

 or flatulence of the first stomach (rumen or paunch). It is attended with 

 very little risk, and needs to be done promptly when cattle are "blown " 

 from over-feeding on clover, lucerne, or other excessively fermentable and 

 gas-producing fodder. Preferably, the operation is performed with a trocar, 

 and canula — (see Fig. 10) — but in cases of emergency an ordinary clasp 

 knife may be used instead of the trocar, and a large quill or piece of 

 metal tubing inserted to take the place of the canula, and allow of the 



Fig. 10. — Trocar and Canula. 



escape of gas. The puncture is made on the left side, at the most promi- 

 nent part of the distension, which is usually a spot equi-distant between 

 the last rib and the point of the hip. The instrument may be plunged 

 directly through the skin and subjacent structures, but to do this consider- 

 able force needs to be exerted, and it is preferable to first make an incision 

 about an inch long through the skin at the seat of puncture The canula 



