1058 Veterinary Obstetrics 



removed. The hernial sac remains as an empty pouch, but after 

 a time this tends to disappear spontaneously, or may be clipped off. 



Others apply sutures in such a way as to constitute essentially 

 a multiple incarcerating ligature, causing the entire hernial sac 

 to become necrotic and slough away. This plan has little if any 

 advantage over the simple ligature. 



Ligatures, clamps and sutures have the common danger of in- 

 fection, which should be avoided by the application of strict anti- 

 sepsis. While it is essential that strict precautions be taken pre- 

 liminary to and during the operation, it is just as important that 

 the resulting wound be handled according to antiseptic methods. 

 Thus, whether we use the ligature, clamps or sutures, an anti.septic 

 dressing should be applied to the area of operation, and the part 

 should be maintained in an antiseptic state from the completion 

 of the operation until danger from infection has been safely 

 passed, which is usually after about one week. 



When an intestinal urabilic hernia becomes strangulated, radi- 

 cal measures should at once be taken to bring about a cure. It 

 is first essential to relieve the strangulation, which may be done 

 in some cases by securing the animal upon its back and carefully 

 manipulating the hernial contents, so that they may be pressed 

 back into the abdominal cavity. This process may be greatly 

 favored by general anaesthesia. If the contents of the intestines 

 are liquid, the incarceration may be overcome by aspirating por- 

 tions of the fluid contents by means of a hypodermic syringe or a 

 small trocar, after which the prolapsed intestines maj^ usually be 

 readily returned. If these measures fail, the hernia should be 

 cut down upon, the ring dilated by cutting, the strangulated 

 viscera returned, and the margins of the hernial ring brought 

 together by sutures, such as we have described above. 



When there exists a hernia consisting of omentum, and it be- 

 comes incarcerated, the death of the strangulated portion pro- 

 duces no general symptoms, but the hernial tumor becomes rather 

 hard and unyielding. By such means, the hernia becomes sponta- 

 neously obliterated, but the tumor remains. This condition we 

 have ob.served in several instances in the pig. The condition is 

 not a serious one. and its only significance is the blemish, which 

 can readily be removed by opening the hernial sac and excising 

 the necrotic omentum, after which the ring and sac are to be 

 clo.sed under antiseptic precautions. 



