OPERATION FOR HERNIA IN STALLIONS, 617 



pressure of the finger may suffice to return the bowel, but more 

 often, on attempting to pass the tip of the finger through the 

 ring to the abdomen, it will be found so tight that this is im- 

 possible ; keep the tip of the left fore-finger against the ring as 

 a guide ; slide a narrow guarded bistoury along the guide (with 

 the right hand) through the ring, with the cutting edge outwards 

 and forwards ; compress the handles as to bring the sharp edge 

 against the ring ; and if properly done, its giving way is in- 

 stantly felt ; remove the bistoury, and press the bowel from the 

 canal towards the belly. It goes readily enough, and as the last 

 portion falls in (the finger should feel round inside the ring to 

 make sure all is clear), the poor sufferer gives a deep sigh of 

 relief, and from that moment the pain ceases. No suture or 

 compress is necessary ; the parts being already inflamed and 

 swollen, the wound will keep the animal quiet, and set up suf- 

 ficient inflammatory swelling and adhesions to prevent effectually 

 the recurrence of the affection. By these means the testicles are 

 spared, and a very speedy cure effected. Cases have returned to 

 work perfectly healed in three to five days after the operation ; 

 others have had scrotal abscesses form, a few weeks later, ulti- 

 mately making good recoveries. The subsequent treatment 

 consists of sedatives, purgatives, enemas of tobacco smoke, 

 fomentations, &c., &c., as for inflammation of the bowels : in a 

 case ultimately successful, the bowels were not moved for sixty 

 hours. 



It is almost impossible, and indeed would require an in- 

 strument a foot long, to cut through the ring by passing a 

 bistoury up the canal from the scrotum, besides giving no cer- 

 tainty as to effecting our object ; and by cutting the canal im- 

 mediately below the ring (readily done, owing to the difficulty of 

 passing the bistoury through the tight ring), the bowel, on pressure, 

 readily disappears, but the patient dies. The 2^ost mortem shows 

 us the bowel protruding through the ring, and forced through the 

 slit in the canal, outside the peritoneal wall, and lying between it 

 and the internal abdominal muscle. To prevent such a grave issue, 

 a flat hook on the point of the guard of the bistoury, projecting up 

 so as to protect the point of the blade, is necessary ; this hook 

 being passed through the ring into the abdomen prevents the 

 ring from slipping off the end, and also protects the bowels in 

 the abdomen from injury, and greatly facilitates the success of 



