HYDROCELE, HEMATOCELE, AND VARICOCELE. 673 



vessels are often abnormally dilated, clams should be used, as they 

 most surely prevent bleeding. If, however, the upper part of the 

 spermatic cord be much diseased, the application of clams is some- 

 times impossible, and it is better to ligature the cord with strong 

 silk or catgut, and allow the ligatures to hang from the wound, 

 removing them after 10 or 15 days. Should the new growth have 

 already reached the abdominal cavity, the patient, if a horse, may 

 be worked until advancing disease renders it useless, or if an ox, 

 prepared for slaughter. 



IX.— HYDROCELE, HEMATOCELE, AND VARICOCELE. 



Dropsy of the tunica vaginalis is known as hydrocele, i.e., a 

 watery swelling. Instead of the few drops of fluid usually present, 

 one finds large quantities of serum between the parietal and visceral 

 layers of the tunica vaginalis. The condition, therefore, in its nature 

 resembles hydrops, and may result from inflammation of the tunica 

 vaginalis. Sometimes the fluid accumulates in the spermatic cord, 

 and then lies between the folds of the tunica vaginalis propria, a 

 condition which has been termed spermatocele. 



Both conditions have repeatedly been seen in horses, bulls, and 

 rams. Steiner found spermatocele in young geldings ; the serous 

 fluid was contained in several small sacculations. Richter has 

 described the same disease in goats and horses. Moller met with 

 hydrocele of the spermatic cord containing more than 16 ounces 

 of a reddish serum in castrating a cryptorchid. This complicated 

 the operation and rendered it much more difficult, but nevertheless 

 it succeeded. Steffen saw hydrocele of the tunica vaginalis in a 

 ram ; Puntigam noted dilatation of the lymph vessels of the 

 spermatic cord. 



Causes. Hydrocele may result from inflammation of the tunica 

 vaginalis of the testicle or of the spermatic cord, and may take either 

 an acute or chronic course. In a sucking-pig and a stud bull Hess 

 found not only serum, but fibrin and blood in the tunica vaginalis. 

 External injuries, like bruises, are doubtless sometimes responsible 

 for disease of this character. When they lead to severe bleeding 

 from the spermatic cord or tunica vaginalis, the condition is called 

 hematocele. Hydrocele of the tunica vaginalis occurs in connection 

 with hydrops ascites and hydrothorax as a local symptom of the 

 general dropsical condition. Martin concluded that the occurrence 

 of filaria papillosa in the dropsical vaginal tunic was a cause of 

 hydrocele, but this view cannot be upheld, as the parasite is 



