38 CLINICAL VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 



When the herniated loop of intestine is situated outside the cord it 

 is sometimes difficult to incise the hernial ring, and great caution is 

 then necessary to avoid injuring the cord itself. Last year we ope- 

 rated on a bubonocele of this character which had existed for twelve 

 hours. Limited to the upper half of the inguinal canal, the loop was 

 situated in front of and external to the cord. On account of the 

 danger of injuring the intestine, which was greatly distended by gas, 

 I was obliged to make several attempts before I succeeded in dividing 

 the ring. Reduction was easy, and the animal recovered, practically 

 without showing fever. 



I return to our last patient. When taken back to his box he was 

 still dull and stupid ; but the symptoms due to chloroform gradually 

 disappeared. In the evening he ate his food, and showed no abnormal 

 symptoms. At 8 o'clock the temperature was ioo'4° F. 



During the following days his general condition remained perfectly 

 satisfactory ; the fever was moderate, the temperature not rising 

 beyond i03"i° F. The horse placed weight on the foot, and lanci- 

 nating pain was absent. Treated with sublimate irrigations the in- 

 guinal wound suppurated very little, and the swelling did not exceed 

 that usual after castration. The clams were removed on the sixth 

 day. 



Healing of both operative wounds occurred without complication 

 or accident of any sort. On the 17th May the patient left the hospital. 

 Some days afterwards he returned to work. 



This case shows that injuries of the fibro-cartilage of the foot may 

 heal rapidly and without complications. It was long taught that 

 necrosis of the central or anterior parts of this cartilage, or even their 

 extensive exposure by removal of necrosed sensitive laminae, neces- 

 sitated removal of the cartilage in toto. This rule, as you see, admits 

 of exceptions. In our patient the cartilage was freely exposed in 

 front ; its superficial layers exhibited the greenish colour peculiar to 

 necrosis, and yet partial excision sufficed. The cartilage healed like 

 the podophyllous membrane which normally covers it. 



Several years ago I published a number of cases showing that 

 wounds of the feet involving the fibro-cartilages could be perfectly 

 cured, without subsequent necrosis and without complication, by 

 simply removing the infected or mortified parts of the cartilage, and 

 that success can be obtained whatever the point at which the fibro- 

 cartilage is wounded or necrotic. Operations on the horse's foot 

 especially show the great value of modern surgical methods— antisepsis 

 and the use of surgical dressings. 



