398 DISEASES OF THE INTESTINES. 



bowel^ from the general development going on in the sys- 

 tem, hastened by the good keep, will soon do so, i. e. get 

 larger, and consequently will not dip into the same opening, 

 even should it remain. Partial or complete adhesion of the 

 sides of the sac will take place, followed by an entire re- 

 moval of the unsightly pendulous bag, with its contents, 

 which constituted the disease.'^ 



VENTRAL HERNIA. 



Ventral, sometimes called Abdominal Hernia, is the 

 name given to bowel protruded through any part of the ab- 

 dominal parietes — the navel and other apertures and canals 

 excepted — the consequence of which is the production of 

 a tumour somewhere upon the external surface of the belly: 

 therefore, ventral hernia essentially differs both from inguinal 

 and umbilical hernise in the circumstance of the protrusion 

 occurring — not through any natural aperture, as in both 

 those instances, but — through some incidental breach in, or 

 interval between, the parietes. 



Cause. — This breach is commonly the result of laceration 

 of some of the muscular or tendinous fibres composing the 

 parietes of the abdomen, which in general is occasioned by 

 a kick from another horse, or by a blow of some sort. 



The COMMON SITUATION of the hernia is by the side of, 

 or rather a little behind, the borders of the false ribs, amid 

 the fleshy fibres of the internal oblique and transverse mus- 

 cles. The obvious reason for its more frequent occurrence 

 in this place, is the prominence and exposure of the part, 

 and consequent greater liability to receive kicks and blows. 



The Tumour, which in magnitude may be compared to 

 a small apple, has a soft, puffy, elastic feel, and by pressure 

 can be made to disappear, from its contents being in general 

 readily returnable into the cavity of the belly. At the same 

 time, the breach itself often being of sufficient breadth to 

 admit of the skin — which hangs loose after the reduction of 

 the hernia — that also is often pushed into it upon the ends 

 of the operator's fingers : in which case the borders of the 

 breach or opening through the abdominal parietes can be. 



