— 882 — 



which is attributed a power or virtue it never possesses. If I 

 should put in a rowel, it would not be with the view of curing dls- 

 ease or sprain, but simply to secure the horse plenty of time in 

 the stable, so that nature could cure the disease herself. 



Ruptures. — The protrusion of some portion of the bowels or 

 intestines out of their proper place. The groin, the navel, sides 

 of the belly, and scrotum, or testicle bag, are the places were rup- 

 tures usually show themselves, and it is the variety of situation 

 that gives rise to the many species of rupture or hernia. 



(1.) Inguinal Rupture. — In the United States, the horses are 

 mostly all castrated, which fact accounts for the rare occurrence of 

 this variety of rupture. The operation of castration completely 

 closes the inguinal ring or opening through which pass the sper- 

 matic cord, testes, etc., thus preventing the possibility of rupture 

 in that direction. When this kind of rupture takes place it is in 

 stallions and uncastrated colts, and requires for its cure the cas- 

 tration of the horse or colt by what is called the covered operation, 

 that is, by leaving the tunica vaginalis, or inner covering of the tes- 

 tes entire and uncut, and placing the clamps over it, allowing the 

 testes or stones to fall off, or be removed in two days from the 

 time of opeiation. As soon as this kind of rupture is observed, 

 have the horse or colt castrated at once. 



(2.) Scrotal Rupture. — This variety of rupture, entirely con 

 fined to the testicle bag, or scrotal sac, is also the affection of un- 

 cut horses, and is caused by relaxation of the fibrous tissue around 

 the inguinal ring. This is a kind of rupture which comes and goes, 

 as if it were an intermittent affection. The rupture, or large swell- 

 ing, during rest will entirely disappear, and return during exer- 

 cise, sometimes with violence, throwing the horse, perhaps, into a 

 fit of colic, and inducing strangulation and death of the horsCo 

 Scrotal rupture is sometimes confined to one side only of the scro- 

 tum. If in time ihe animal should not die from strangulation of 

 the bowel, the rupture will sometimes increase to an enormous 

 size, hanging far down, and filling up the space in and between 

 the hind legs. 



Treatment. The same as for inguinal hernia. Of course, in both 

 cases, care should first be taken to push back the bowels through 

 the ring into the belly before removing the testicles. Scrotal 



