150 SHEEP DISEASES. 



6. Rumenotomy. 



Removal of the contents of the rumen or pauuch. 



This is rarely performed although it has saved 

 the lives of many bloated sheep. 



Textbooks give elaborate directions for perform- 

 ing this operation, but in actual practice if one 

 were to follow them out, the majority of sheep 

 would be dead before the contents of the paunch 

 were removed. 



If there is time, an area the size of a man 's hand 

 on the left flank should be clipped, and tincture 

 of iodin applied. An incision, running parallel 

 with the last rib, and several inches long is then 

 made. The contents are removed as rapidly as 

 possible, the walls of the paunch sutured, and the 

 skin brought into apposition with several inter- 

 rupted sutures. Tar is smeared over the wound, 

 and in several days the skin sutures removed. 



Sheepmen not infrequently perform this oper- 

 ation with a, pen knife and a piece of string for 

 suturing material, and even under these conditions 

 the operation often proves successful. 



7. Puncture of the Bladder. 



Frequently bucks and wethers are troubled by 

 urinary calculi, which sooner or later close up the 

 urethra and prevent the passage of urine. Surgi- 

 cal textbooks give elaborate procedures in these 

 cases, but after one has tried it several times on 

 sheep he will desist. So many animals "die get- 

 ting well" that it does not give the operator any 

 credit. 



