Treatment. Volvulus and Torsion of the Intestine. 425 



In smaller animals or in calves less than 9 to 10 months 

 old, laparotomy becomes necessary if the animals are to be 

 saved. This operation likewise is usually necessary in horses, 

 and also in cattle in all other forms of strangulation except sper- 

 matic-duct strangulation ; in oxen older than one year, the latter 

 rarely necessitates laparotomy. It is obvious that one must not 

 wait with laparotomy until necrosis of the intestinal wall or a 

 diffuse peritonitis have developed. The abdominal incision is 

 to be made as near as possible to the location of the strangu- 

 lation ; the strangulating band must l)e severed, but clefts should 

 be enlarged by a bloodless method, that is, by stretching or 

 tearing. In this manner recovery has frequently been brought 

 about in internal hernia of cattle and occasional^, also in other 

 types of strangulation of this species (Kranzle, Schiel). 



Plosz & Marek and also Teltseh have performed laparotomy in the horse, each 

 in one case of intestinal strangulation ; the band was severed with the aid of a 

 pair of scissors introduced into the abdominal cavity. Rogerson, however, did not 

 succeeded in relieving a strangulation caused by a tumor. Forsf-ell made an inter- 

 esting report of the details of three cases of laparotomy performed in horses for 

 the relief of strangulation of the intestines through the foramen of Winslow. One 

 of the cases terminated in recovery, two of the horses died, one of them from hem- 

 orrhage due to injury of the portal vein. 



Laparotomy is, however, not always indicated, even in cases 

 where a reliable diagnosis has been made ; the very nature of the 

 affection in some types excludes the possibility of removing the 

 cause. 



Laxatives can only do harm in strangulation, they must, 

 therefore, be avoided. Narcotics are indicated for easing the 

 pain, vasotonics to increase blood pressure. 



Literature. Albrecht, W. f. Tk., 1903, 605.— Earner, Z. f. Tm., 1899, III, 333. 

 — Bonnigal, Eec, 1892, 337.— Bru, ibid.— Detroye, Rev. gen., 1904, V, 604.— Forssell, 

 Z. f. Tm., 1908, XI 1, 1.— Frohner Monh., 1905, XVI, 558.— Gutbrod, W. f. Tk., 

 1903, 212.— Hoffmann, D. t. W., 1905, 270.— Imminger, W. f. Tk., 1904, 17.— Jan- 

 sen, Pr. Mt., 1874-1875, 106.— Klett, D. t. W., 1907, 209 (Lit. on rectal examination). 

 —Kranzle, W^ f. Tk., 1904, 597.— Lucet, Rec, 1892, 751.— Madel, W. f. Tk., 1907, 

 165.— Marek, Z. f. Tm., 1902, VI, 258; 1905, IX, 48; D. t. W., 1907, 702.— Mathis, 

 J. v4t. 1893, 585.— Parant, Rev. gen., 1906, VII, 127.— Pecus, J. vet., 1906, 646.— 

 Plosz & Marek, Z. f. Tm., 1902, VI, 171.— Probst, B. t. W., 1903, 154.— Roy, Rec, 

 1894, 401.— Schiel, B. t. W., 1906, 610.— Servatius, B. Mt., 1902, 180.— Sigl., W. f. 

 Tk., 1907, 41.— Spathe, Pr. Mt., 1853-54, 138.— Teltseh, A. L., 1903, 649.— Villemin, 

 J. vet., 1905, 603.— Walch, Strangulatio ducto-spermatiea. Diss. Bern., 1904 (Lit.)., 

 D. t. W., 1902, 353.— Wall, Die Kolik des Pferdes, 1908. 



Incarcerated genuine hernias produce the same general clinical 

 picture as internal strangulations of the intestine ; their treatment rests 

 upon the same principles. 



25. Volvulus and Torsion of the Intestine. Volvulus et 

 torsio intestini. 



Volvulus and torsion of the intestine is a rapid closure of 

 the bowel lumen, caused l)y a turn of the intestine around its 

 own axis or by strangailation caused by other loops; simul- 



