400 OPERATIONS ON THE DIGESTIVE APPARATUS. 



of injury. They are those of any violent abdominal pain spring- 

 ing from any cause, and may be met with in invaginations, volvulus, 

 intestinal obstruction, etc. But if not possessing any positive and 

 intrinsic significance in themselves, they assume great value in the 

 diagnosis, when added to the series of local, ox pathognomic symp- 

 toms which have their origin and limit in the inguinal region. 



Two methods are available for the location of the seat of 

 the lesion, one being the external exploration of the inguino- 

 scrotal parts, the other consisting in the internal rectal examin- 

 ation of the pubic region. In a horse, and especially a stallion, 

 suffering from cohcs, the indication to a general and immediate 

 examination of the inguinal region, for abnormal appearances, is 

 always present, and it will not be safe to be too easily satisfied 

 with visual examination exclusively, to become certain that no 

 part of the intestines is engaged in the vaginal sac. The eye 

 may be deceived; it is the touch alone which will prevent all 

 possibility of error. The sensation imparted to the touch at the 

 beginning of a recent inguinal hernia is that of a thickened testi- 

 cular cord which has lost its usual supj)leness, and whose con- 

 stituents can no longer be determined under the pressure of the 

 fingers. Thus thickened, the cord gives a sensation of resistency, 

 increasing as the exploration is carried further up in the groin, 

 while toward the bottom of the sac, the scrotal mass feels fuller 

 than usual, the testicle becoming less movable, giving the sensa- 

 tion of a sHghtly pufiy tumor. After several hours duration of the 

 disease, the characters become better marked, in consequence of 

 the increase in the size of the intestine, and the amount of exu- 

 dation, and there is also a formation of gases above the neck of 

 the sac, which also contributes to its increase in size. 



The hernial tumor has thus become changed from its original 

 appearance, by its enlarged size, and is easily detected by the great 

 general tension caused by the presence of the accumulating gases ; 

 the cord is found to be tumefied in its whole length, while its 

 renitentcy increases as it extends upward into the canal. Du-ect 

 pressure with the fingers upon the tumor does not seem to cause 

 great pain, probably because this local sensation is dulled by the 

 extension of the excessive j)ains which radiate from the hernia 

 throughout the entire abdominal system. The external characters 

 of the inguinal tumor become more noticeable when both sides of 

 the testicular regions are compared, the difference between the 



