HERNIA. 441 



jury is of so aggravated a character from the first, that a fatal 

 result immediately follows the formation of the hernia, the only 

 characteristic symptoms present being those of rajjid asphyxia. 

 In other cases, though death must ine\'itably follow, the hfe of 

 the animal may be prolonged for several hours, or even several 

 days. And again, there are recent hernias which have been formed 

 under such conditions that they are still compatible with the sur- 

 vival of the animal. These assume the chronic character, and not 

 infrequently escape discovery. 



The horse affected with diaphragmatic hernia becomes dull, 

 anxious and uneasy, avoiding his manger and avoiding his food. 

 He paws in the stall, giving evidence of suffering from abdominal 

 pains, but which betray no pecuhar characteristics, and possess 

 no special or positive significance. Very often cohcs precede 

 the hernia, and its formation complicating the case, the colics be- 

 come more violent. During these colics the animal hesitatingly 

 and carefully lies down, rolls much, and assumes various attitudes 

 of no special significance, though the dog-sitting posture is some- 

 times held to be characteristic. During these colics, which are 

 more persistent than those due to intestinal indigestion, the pulse 

 remain strong and quite regular, and respiration is not only ac- 

 celerated, but difficult — the physiognomy is anxious, with an ex- 

 pression of apprehended suffocation, the nostrils are tetanically 

 dilated, inspiratory movements are performed with effort, and 

 expiration is of twice or three times its normal frequency. The 

 coexistence of this condition of the respiration with the colics is 

 a sign of great importance as an element of the diagnosis. At 

 times auscultation furnishes valuable data. Borborygmus may be 

 detected in the thorax, where the respiratoiy murmur ought to 

 be heard, and dullness on percussion takes the place of the nor- 

 mal resonance, where the respiratory murmur has disappeared. 



Bouley, though he recommends this means of diagnosticating, 

 considers it to be applicable only for hernias of large size, in which, 

 according to Lafosse, an increase in the size of the thorax, a well 

 marked projection of the cartilaginous circle of the ribs, and to- 

 gether with these, a reduction in the size of the abdomen would be 

 noticed. When the hernia is small, the respiratory function is 

 unaltered. 



Acute diaphragmatic hernias, not necessarily of fatal tendency, 

 are more difficult to detect. Probably from their rareness they 



