HERNIA OF THE RUMEN. 491 



young and \yhich have suffered from spontaneous progressive hernia of 

 the uterus. 



Symptoms. The symptoms are the same in all herniae. Imme- 

 diately after the injury the abdominal organs show a tendency to escape in 

 the direction of least resistance. A fold of the rumen passes through the 

 muscular fissure, and a swelling soon becomes visible externally, which 

 alters the contour of the abdomen. Most frequently at this time traces 

 of the injury can be detected on the surface of the skin, either the linear 

 trace due to a horn thrust, the ill-defined lesion due to a kick, or what not. 

 There follows rapid swelling, which results from the inflammatory re- 

 action due to rupture of small vessels within the muscle. A certain amount 

 of sanguineous exudation and of oedematous swelling occurs, and may at 

 first suggest the existence of an abscess of the abdominal wall. At 

 the same time there is more or less fever, which may continue for 

 a few days, but the swelling seldom lasts very long ; in two or three 

 days even, it becomes reabsorbed, commencing at the upper part and 

 diminishing progressively downwards. 



Henceforth the hernia alone remains. 



It is soft, compressible, and sometimes susceptible of reduction. On 

 palpation, the operator feels a rupture extending through the tunic and 

 the abdominal wall, sometimes even through the muscular tissue of the 

 rumen, in cases where the skin is neither perforated nor torn through. 

 The mucous membrane of the rumen is rarely ruptured. 



Whether or not the peritoneum is injured, the rumen presses be- 

 tween the lips of the wound, thrusts back the skin, and separates the con- 

 nective tissue, thus setting up local irritation and oedematous swelling. 

 The rumen may contract more or less close adhesions with the abdo- 

 minal wall, and even with the subcutaneous tissues. 



Afterwards, when the exudate has been reabsorbed, palpation re- 

 veals a different condition of things. The mass is uniformly fluctuating 

 or semi-fluctuating, and is surrounded at the base by an indurated ring 

 of very varying dimensions. The final indication — which, however, is 

 not invariably seen — deserves attention, viz., the change in volume of 

 the hernia at different moments, particularly during meals. This 

 change in size only occurs if the hernial orifice is large. 



In cases of spontaneous hernia of the rumen, the condition is not 

 fully established at first. It is always progressive, and the lesion is 

 situated in the lower abdominal region. It increases in size from day 

 to day, from week to week, whilst the animals lose appetite and flesh. 

 Spontaneous hernise are never accompanied either by exudation, en- 

 gorgement, fever, or traces of mechanical injury. 



When only slightly developed, herniae do not threaten life, a fact 

 which often jDrevents the owners troubling about them. Progressive 



