GASTEIC JUICE. 22 3 



It is best to choose a dog of medium size, young, but 

 nearly, if not entirely full grown, in perfect health, and of 

 good disposition. Bringing the animal under the influence 

 of ether, he is to be held firmly on the back, and an incision 

 about two inches in length is made in the median line into 

 the abdominal cavity. This incision should be commenced 

 from half an inch to an inch below the ensiform cartilage. 

 Introducing the finger into the abdominal cavity, the stom- 

 ach can readily be felt, especially if it be moderately dis- 

 tended ; and with a pair of hooked, or bull-dog forceps, that 

 portion of the stomach nearest the wound may be seized and 

 drawn out of the abdomen. It is important to make the fis- 

 tula into that portion of the anterior wall of the stomach 

 which is nearest the wound, to avoid disturbance in the posi- 

 tion of the viscera ; and the organ is in the most favorable 

 position for the operation if it be moderately distended with 

 food. 



A portion of the stomach being drawn out of the abdo- 

 men, a slit is made parallel to the longitudinal fibres, just 

 large enough to admit the canula. 



A silver canula, about an inch and a quarter in length, 

 half an inch in diameter, and provided with a straight rim 

 or flange at each end about half an inch in width, is now 

 introduced into the stomach and firmly secured in place by 

 a ligature surrounding it and passed in and out through the 

 coats of the stomach near the lips of the wound, like the 

 string of a purse. This canula may be single, or as sug- 

 gested by Bernard, double, one-half screwing into the other 

 so that it may be elongated to twice the length it has when 

 closed. This is somewhat convenient, as the tube may be 

 introduced elongated, and when the swelling of the parts 

 has subsided, may be shortened by a key, so as not to pro- 

 ject beyond the abdominal walls. 



After the canula has been firmly fixed in the stomach, 

 the tube, with one of its flanged ends projecting, should be 

 drawn to the upper part of the opening in the abdomen, and 



