VII.— DEEP-SEATED INGUINAL ABSCESS AFTER 

 CASTRATION. 



During the holidays we operated on an Enghsh-bred five-year- 

 old horse whose case was so instructive from the clinical point of 

 view, and offered such peculiarities, as to merit some remark. 



The horse was castrated during the early part of May, i. e. more 

 than five months ago. The operation was performed by the covered 

 method, with clams. The wounds healed slowly, that on the left side 

 not closing entirely, and a fistulous wound persisted, due, as it was 

 thought, to " scirrhous cord." A veterinary surgeon, being consulted 

 regarding this sinus, first of all prescribed antiseptic injections. In a 

 month's time, seeing that they had no result, he cast the animal, explored 

 the inguinal region, and not finding any induration of the left cord, 

 suggested, as a temporary measure, to continue the injections for a 

 further time. New symptoms appeared ; the animal's movements 

 became impeded ; the near hind leg, which was slightly swollen, was 

 advanced with difficulty, and with a circular swinging movement 

 (abduction). The appetite remained fair, but the animal lost flesh, 

 and its coat appeared dull. M. Weber was asked to examine it. He 

 was struck by the interference with movement of the near hind limb, 

 and although swelling of the perinseum was little marked, and the 

 purulent discharge trifling, he advised that fresh surgical treatment 

 was necessary. The horse entered our clinique on the 27th August". 



I had only been told part of this history when, two days later, I 

 had the animal cast, thinking we had to deal with a simple scirrhous 

 condition, situated more or less high in the cord. The inguinal region 

 was, as I have just said, little swollen, but showed diffuse induration, 

 extending forwards over the abdominal region beyond the opening of 

 the sheath. Having passed a director and laid open the fistula in 

 front and behind, I only found a purulent cavity the size of an egg, 

 situated at the lower part of the fistula. I incised the fibrous layer 

 covering the inguinal canal, the entrance of which I explored without 

 discovering anything abnormal. The sinus and abscess could not 

 explain the swelling of, nor the difficulty in moving the near hind leg. 



