6 1 4 A CC IDE NTS INC IDE NT A L TO PAR TURITION. 



straining continues, it may be inferred that tlie mucous membrane is 

 irritated by the existence of wrinkles or folds on its surface. The hand 

 must then be introduced again into the vagina, and the ridges effaced 

 either by passing the hand over them so as to carry the membrane onwards, 

 or by gentle pressure entirely obliterating them. 



If the membrane is irritable and inflamed, astringents — such as acetate 

 of lead, and anodynes — such as opjum, may be applied to it \ and as a 

 matter of precaution, a truss may used for a few hours. 



When the foetal membranes are still in the uterus, some obstetrists 

 recommend that they should be removed before reduction of the inversion 

 is attempted ; but others — and among them Saint-Cyr — are of opinion 

 that reduction should be accomplished first, and removal of the mem- 

 branes afterwards, unless the latter are so lightly attached that they can 

 be pulled away without introducing the hand into the uterus. In any 

 case the membranes must be removed, as their presence is certain to cause 

 expulsive efforts which will inevitably lead to protrusion of the vagina again. 



For the retention of the reduced organ, sutures are often passed through 

 the labia of the vulva, and Harms and Schleg {Magazm von Gurlt und 

 Hertwig, 1869, p. 13) have rings (ringehts) with this object. Schleg's 

 ring is a thin flat band of steel, pointed at one end, and with a round hole 

 and slot a little above the point : at the other end is a kind of button 

 raised on the surface. The point is passed through the labia, and the 

 band bent round so as to meet and button at the ends. This ring has 

 been worn, according to Schleg, from a few days to more than five months. 

 But in general, it will be preferable to employ a truss for the retention of 

 the vagina, if the accident is recent. 



When the submucous connective tissue of the vagina has been much 

 lacerated, and abnormal adhesions have taken place, then a recurrence of 

 the inversion is to be apprehended. This recurrence is, of course, most 

 likely to take place in chronic inversion, and all the skill and patience of 

 the veterinary surgeon will be required in dealing with such a case. At 

 times the accident has proved so troublesome, and retention has so baffled 

 every attempt after reduction was effected, that amputation of the pro- 

 truded portion has been practised, and with success. 



Rainard appears to have been the first to venture on this bold measure, 

 and he practised the operation several times on Bitches. He ligatured 

 the entire inverted mass close to the vulva, in one case ; but as this gave 

 rise to intense fever, and, when cured, the animal suffered from inconti- 

 nence of urine, he adopted another procedure. Instead of including the 

 whole of the tumor in one ligature, he divided the pedicle into three por- 

 tions, which he tied separately, so that each ligature only enclosed one- 

 third of the mass. After tightening the ligatures, the Bitch was allowed 

 to run at large, the only attention it received being the injection of emol- 

 lient fluids into the vagina, and a smaller allowance of food. The pain 

 was much less in intensity and duration than in the first case, and the 

 tumor came away in five or six days, when recovery took place. Rainard, 

 however, advises immediate excision of the portion of the mass beyond 

 the ligatures, when these have been drawn tight. 



Daprey operated on a two-year-old filly in a somewhat different man- 

 ner. Inversion of the vagina had been present for fifteen days, and the 

 tumor was as large as a man's head ; it was cold, of a dark brown color, 

 and the animal was greatly agitated and feverish. As gangrene was 

 apprehended, it was decided to remove the whole mass. This was done 



