96 DISEASES OF CATTLE, SHEEP, GOATS, ETC. 



right sac of the rumen, the omentum, the small and large intestines, 

 a portion of the liver, and the pregnant uterus. 



In old hernias the swelling is soft and elastic, and if they have 

 not contracted adhesions to the sides of the laceration, they can be 

 made to disappear by pressure carefully applied. Sometimes this 

 accident is complicated by a rupture of the rumen, constituting a 

 complicated hernia. If a portion of the contents of the rumen es- 

 cape into the abdomen, the case will be aggravated by the occur- 

 rence of peritonitis. 



Hernia of the Bowel. When the intestines form the contents 

 of the hernia, it will be situated at the right side of the abdomen. 

 In an intestinal hernia the swelling is usually not painful, of a 

 doughy consistency or elastic, according as the intestines does or 

 does not contain alimentary matter. This swelling can generally 

 be made to disappear by pressure, and when it has been reduced one 

 can easily recognize the direction and extent of the hernial open- 

 ing. Hernias of the bowel which are situated at the upper and 

 right side of the abdomen are usually formed by the small intestine. 

 They are less easily reduced than a hernia in a lower situation, but 

 when reduction has been effected they are less readily reproduced 

 than those occurring lower. In hernias of the small intestine, ad- 

 hesion of the protruding parts to the walls of the opening, or strangu- 

 lation, are complications which sometimes take place. If adhesion 

 has taken place the hernia can not be reduced by pressure, and 

 when strangulation has occurred the animal shows symptoms of 

 pain is restless, turns its nose to the painful part, and shows those 

 symptoms which are usually collectively designated under the term 

 colic. If relief is not afforded, the animal will die. 



Hernia of the Rennet, or Fourth Stomach. This disease oc- 

 casionally occurs in calves and is usually caused by a blow from a 

 cow's horn on the right flank of the calf. After such an accident a 

 swelling forms on the right flank near the last rib. This swelling 

 may be neither hot nor painful, even at first, and is soft to the touch. 

 It can be made to disappear by careful pressure, when the sides of 

 the aperture through which it has passed can be felt. The applica- 

 tion of pressure so as to cause the disappearance of the hernia is best 

 made immediately after the occurrence of the accident, or when the 

 edema which accompanies the swelling has disappeared. 



Treatment. When a hernia is reducible that is, can be 

 pushed back into the abdomen then, if it is of recent occurrence, 

 it is advisable to maintain the natural position of the parts by 

 bandaging and to allow the walls of the laceration to grow together. 

 The bowels should be kept reasonably empty by avoiding the use of 

 bulky food, and the animal must be kept quiet. 



The following method of bandaging is recommended by Bouley : 

 First prepare a bandage (must be of strong material), about 10 

 yards long and between 3 and 4 inches broad, and a flexible and 

 solid piece of pasteboard adapted in size to the surface of the hernia. 

 The protruding organ must then be replaced in the abdomen and 

 maintained in that position during the application of the bandage. 



