TREATMENT OE NON-STRANGULATED INGUINAL HERNIA. 543 



animals. The condition produces difficulty in castrating foals, and 

 renders this generally simple operation dangerous, whilst recent 

 inguinal hernia in old animals is doubly grave, on account of the 

 risk of incarceration. Extensive ruptures, and especially those 

 with large apertures, not only injure the appearance of the animal 

 and interfere with its use, but at the same time offer the greatest 

 difficulty to treatment. 



Omental are usually less grave than intestinal hernise, and on 

 this ground geldings are more hopeful subjects, though even in them 

 the intestine sometimes descends and becomes strangulated. In 

 a gelding Moller replaced an incarcerated inguinal hernia four times 

 during a period of six weeks. Irreducible hernia? are doubly dangerous, 

 because of the difficulty in operating. Finally, it should be remarked 

 that incarceration does not necessarily depend on the size of the 

 hernia. A small and incomplete inguinal hernia is more frequently 

 strangulated than an extensive hernia with wide abdominal ring. 



Treatment. Operation is rendered difficult by the length of 

 the inguinal canal and the position of the hernia. Hering very 

 shrewdly advised leaving well alone, and not operating unless obliged. 

 This, however, becomes necessary when a stallion has to be castrated, 

 and incarceration not infrequently necessitates operation. As, in 

 the latter case, procedure differs from that in non-strangulated 

 ruptures, the treatment of the simpler condition will first be dealt 

 with. 



(A) TEEATMENT OF NON-STEANGULATED INGUINAL HEENIA. 



Various methods have been proposed ; amongst the more 

 important are — 



(1) Treatment by closure or narrowing of the vaginal sac. 



(a) Foelen recommends the application of irritants to the scrotum 

 in the neighbourhood of the inguinal ring, as in treating umbilical 

 hernise. The ointment he uses consists of 1 part of cantharides, 

 25 parts of euphorbium, 15 parts of fat, and 1*5 parts of verdigris ; 

 it may be applied without casting the animal by drawing the testicle 

 downwards, thus rendering the skin of the scrotum tense. The 

 application should be made once daily, until the epidermis becomes 

 loosened, which usually happens in ten to twelve days. The parts 

 are then washed with lukewarm water, and when the inflammation 

 has disappeared the infrictions are recommenced, until in four to 

 six weeks the rupture has disappeared. Degive also recommends 

 this method, though it is of little use in animals more than four to 

 six months old. 



