704 DISEASES OF SWINE 



capes from the abdominal cavity through an abnormally large 

 natural body opening. In the case of the scrotal hernia the bowel 

 comes out through the inguinal canal which is the natural passage- 

 way for the cord of the testicle. In the umbilical rupture the hernia 

 escapes through the opening at the navel or umbilicus. In the pig 

 at birth this is a natural opening. After birth this canal should 

 close, but in those cases where a rupture occurs it fails to do so, and 

 is left as a permanent passageway through which the bowel escapes. 



In comparatively rare cases rupture takes place through breaks 

 m the abdominal wall that are made in another manner. In these 

 cases the rupture occurs at some point of injury, where, as a result 

 of a blow, a kick, or a cut, there is left a weak place. For example, 

 in sows after a cesarean section a rupture may take place at the 

 site of the scar. This scar tissue is not as strong as the natural 

 muscle tissues that have been cut in the operation, and it may 

 stretch so as to allow of the escape of the contents of the abdominal 

 cavity into a pouch-like sac that will be formed beneath the skin. 

 Hernise of this kind are known as ventral hernise. They differ 

 from the inguinal and umbilical hernise only in that they escape 

 through an unnatural instead of a natural opening in the body 

 wall. 



Other common causes for ventral rupture are injuries with 

 blunt objects, kicks from larger animals, and tearing of the muscle 

 tissues by sudden falls. Straining and injury due to overcrowding 

 is another frequent cause. Animals that are in poor condition are 

 especially liable to develop rupture as a result of some unusual 

 accident. 



Symptoms. — The symptoms of a ventral rupture are very much 

 the same as in the case of the umbiHcal and inguinal types. There 

 is noted a painless swelling at some unusual point on the body, and 

 when this swelling is examined it is found to contain loops of intes- 

 tine. If the animal be placed in proper position, and a little 

 manipulation made, it will be found that these portions of bowel 

 slip back into the abdominal cavity and a ring-like opening can be 

 felt at the bottom of the sao. 



This form of rupture, occurring as it does through injury to the 

 walls of the abdomen, is frequently accompanied by a considerable 

 degree of inflammation, and as a result it is often found that 



