RUPTURE, OR INTESTINAL HERNIA. 403 



intestine, constringe, and prevent the return of the bowel, 

 it then forms a strangulated hernia, and usually proves fatal, 

 unless relief be promptly obtained. 



The hernia by far the most common in the horse is the 

 inguinal, of which the scrotal, or when the bowel descends into 

 the scrotum, is most frequently observed in the stallion. 

 Bubonocele, or that of the groin, is a very rare form of dis- 

 ease, but is occasionally witnessed in geldings. In the former, 

 the intestine accompanies the spermatic cord by the ingui- 

 nal canal through the abdominal rings into the scrotum : in 

 the latter the bowel alone lodges in the groin. The rup- 

 tures we have named may be considered as the only ones 

 common to the horse. Some of them are very rarely seen : 

 hernia is more frequently on the right than on the left side ; 

 and scarcely ever appears in mares. However, ventral her- 

 nia or rupture of the muscles of the abdominal sides, and 

 protrusion beneath the skin of a portion of intestine, is 

 sometimes beheld in either sex, and perhaps of the two, is 

 more frequently witnessed in the female. 



The causes which produce hernice are various, but all 

 arise from violence of exertion, or the effects consequent 

 upon external injuries. With us the efforts used in racing, 

 and the leaps taken in hunting, are causes, as we may 

 readily suppose ; when we consider that the dilatation of 

 the abdomen, restrained as it is by weight and tight girth- 

 ings, must press backwards the intestinal mass. Rearing 

 and kicking also, and being cast for operations, particu- 

 larly the rising up after castration, have all brought it on. 

 Blows with a thick stick, or from the horn of a cow, may 

 likewise induce it. 



The symptoms of strangulated hernia are very similar to 

 those of an acute enteritis : there are the same uneasiness, 

 shifting of position, getting up and lying down again. The 

 horse rolls in the same manner, and in turning on his back 

 sometimes seems to get a momentary respite from pain ; 

 yet it is but momentary, for the suffering is not one of 

 remission ; it is constant ; this will serve as one distin- 

 guishing mark between it and spasmodic cohc, with which 

 it has been confounded. In stallions, a pathognomonic 

 symptom is, that the testicle on the hernial side is drawn 

 up to the abdomen, and is retained there, with only mo- 



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