406 DISEASES OE THE INTESTINES. 



ranged between 52 and 56.— 6tb, So far recovered as to be turned into a 

 paddock for a few bours. — lltb, "An accident occurred wbicb nearly 

 brougbt my bitberto successful case to a fatal termination. Sbe bad got 

 into a pond Avbicb lay at tbe bottom of tbe paddock, and was fixed in tbe 

 mud ; and was, wben we arrived, making violent efforts to release berself. 

 After mucb difficulty sbe was dragged out, so mucb exhausted as to be 

 incapable of rising. A gate was procured, and upon tbat, well covered 

 with straw, sbe was, by two borses, drawn bome. Sbe bad now every 

 attention paid ber, and was raised in slings for support. In tbis ' cradle.' 

 sbe stood quite at ease. Sbe gradually recovered ber strengtb ; but it 

 was not until twelve weeks after tbe operation tbat tbe metallic sutures 

 came away ; a fact sbowing tbe advantage of tbese over otber sutures — 

 tbe different degrees of irritation produced on tbe living animal fibre by 

 tbe different substances we employ as sutures. To tbe use of tbe metallic 

 sutures I attribute tbe success of my case ; and for tbeir introduction we 

 are indebted to Mr. Spooner. My patient, sbortly after tbis, went to 

 work on my farm, wbere sbe continues to tbe present bour, doing her 

 full share of labour." 



This was from the beginning, and all through its course, 

 truly a formidable case. The only question concerning it 

 arising, in my mind, is, whether or not a simpler operation 

 might not have proved effectual ? — such an operation as the 

 French veterinarians perform, or as Mr. Horsburgh, by 

 the aid of starvation, succeeded with ? I cannot, of course, 

 be supposed to be offering an opinion on a case I never 

 saw : I am but holding these simple operations out as, in 

 fitting cases, worthy of trial, in preference to formidable and 

 dangerous ones. 



DIAPHRAGMATIC HERNIA. 



Among the reasons assigned by Girard in his inestimable 

 work on hernia for the prevalence of this affection in men 

 in comparison with animals, is adduced, the oblique inclina- 

 tion, forwards and downwards, of the axis of the abdomen 

 in the quadruped, the consequence of which is, the con- 

 tinual gravitating tendency of the abdominal viscera against 

 the diaphragm. This visceral pressure, particularly when 

 the bowels are full, must operate, by impediment to the 

 action of the diaphragm, in rendering that muscle more 



