A DICTIONARY. 



255 



The symptoms of strangulated hernia are 

 very similar to those of acute enteritis : 

 there is the same uneasiness, shifting of 

 position, getting up and lying down again. 

 The horse rolls in the same manner, and in 

 turninar on his back sometimes seems to 

 get a momentary respite from pain ; yet it 

 is but momentary, for the suffering is not 

 one of remission ; it is constant ; this will 

 serve as one distinguishing mark betw"een 

 it and spasmodic colic, with which it has 

 been confounded. In stallions, a pathog- 

 nomonic symptom is, that the testicle on 

 the hernial side is drawn up to the abdo- 

 men, and is retained there, with only mo- 

 mentary fits of relaxation ; toward the last, 

 the pulse is quick and wiry ; the horse 

 paws, looks at his flanks, but seldom kicks 

 at his belly. We assure ourselves of her- 

 nia by an oblong tumor in the groin, of 

 larger or smaller bulk ; hard or soft, as it 

 may contain either faeces or gas, in which 

 latter case it will also be elastic. When 

 the tumor is raised by the hand, or pressed, 

 a gurgling sound is emitted ; or, if the horse 

 be coughed, it will be sensibly increased in 

 dimensions. 



The treatment of strangulated hernia. — 

 The horse suffering under the affection we 

 will suppose to be a stallion, and then de- 

 scribe the various manipulations for his 

 relief : firstly, the examination into the state 

 of the hernia ; secondly, the application of 

 means preparatory to the application of 

 pressure ; thirdly, the application of pres- 

 sure itself; also, the operation of removing 

 the stricture ; and, likewise, the application 

 of the various processes to hernia in the 

 horse. 



The treatment of hernia in a stallion. — 

 First, the examination of the hernial sac. 

 In this manipulation both hands are em- 

 ployed ; one is introduced into the rectum, 

 the other into the sheath. The one within 

 the rectum must seek the internal ring; 

 while the other, pursuing the course of the 

 cord on the side affected, is to be pushed up 

 to the external ring ; and thus, in the nat- 

 ural state, the opposed fingers may be made 

 nearly to meet, and so estimate the size of 



the opening. However small the protruded 

 portion of gut, the practitioner will be able 

 to detect, and even to reduce it. This ex- 

 ploration may be made in the standing pos- 

 ture; but it will be conducted with more 

 facility and certainty if the animal be cast^ 

 luhich is the preferable mode of proceeding. 



Secondly, the application of means pre- 

 paratory to the taxis : these are said to be 

 bleeding, and partially paralyzing the parts 

 by administration of cliloroform ; or lessen- 

 ing the volume of distention by dashing 

 the part with cold water ; or, if the horse 

 be already cast, by spreading ice over the 

 beUy. 



Thirdly, the manual efforts to return the 

 displaced gut. To fulfil this indication, we 

 are, with the same hope, at once to proceed 

 thus: The horse is to be tin-own upon the 

 opposite side to that disordered ; and, after 

 one hind leg has been drawn and fixed for- 

 ward, as for castration, he is to be turned 

 upon his back, and in that position main- 

 tained by trusses of straw, whUe other 

 trusses are placed under Mm to raise the 

 croup. With both arms well oUed, or cov- 

 ered with some mucilaginous decoction, 

 the operator will now commence his explo- 

 ration, taking the precaution of emptying 

 the rectum as he proceeds. As soon as he 

 shall have ascertained that it is a case of 

 hernia, — have assured himself the gut pro- 

 truded through the ring is undergoing 

 neither stricture nor strangulation, — he may 

 endeavor to disengage the hernial part, by 

 softly drawing it inward within the cavity, 

 at the same time pushing it in the like 

 direction with the hand within the sheath. 

 Should he experience much difficulty in 

 these attempts, he is to desist ; violence 

 being too often the forerunner of strangu- 

 lation and gangrene. He must bear in 

 mind, also, that, although the reduction is 

 effected, unless it be followed by immediate 

 castration, it does not always prove to be a 

 cure : the protrusion recurs after a time, 

 and occasionally even the moment the ani- 

 mal has risen. If the taxis should be fortu- 

 nate enough to reduce the hernia, and it be 

 not intended to castrate the horse, apply a 



