DISTENSION OF THE STOMACH FROM GAS. 305 



enter the paunch, and produce a disposition to vomiting or purging ; 

 or, if the whole passes on into the fourth stomach, and so into the in- 

 testinal canal, a sympathetic but inverted action is excited in the ru- 

 men, and a portion of its contents is sent, by an unusual passage, 

 from the rumen through the third and into the fourth stomach, and 

 so relief is obtained. In this way purging is occasionally established, 

 either in consequence of a stimulus applied immediately to the coats 

 of the first stomach, or from sympathy with the action going forward 

 in the intestinal canal, and a portion of the food is carried from the 

 rumen into the intestines without being returned to the mouth to be 

 remasticated. The grassy and harder fibres, sometimes found in the 

 dung in considerable quantities, prove that that portion of it could 

 not have undergone rumination. This, however, is not striking at the 

 root of the evil. 



The object to be acctinplished is the extrication of the gas, and 

 the prevention of any fresh quantity of it being developed. If the 

 farmer or the practitioner, at a distance from home, sees any of his 

 cattle so dangerously hoven or swelled as to threaten speedy death, 

 he adopts a summary mode of getting rid of the gas : he takes a 

 sharp-pointed knife, and plunges it into the left side, underneath, and 

 in contact with which the rumen is found. The gas rushes vio- 

 lently through the aperture, carrying with it steam, and fluid, and 

 pieces of food. The belly falls, and the beast is immediately relieved. 

 The safest place for this operation is the following : — Supposing a 

 line to be drawn close along the vertebrae, from the haunch-bone to 

 the last rib, and two other lines of equal length to extend down the 

 flank, so as to form an equilateral triangle, the apex of the triangle, 

 or the point where these lines would meet, would be the proper place 

 for the operation, for there is no danger of wounding either the spleen 

 or the kidney. 



It may also be suggested, that a small trochar is far preferable to 

 a knife for this operation, and might very conveniently be carried in 

 the instrument-case of the surgeon, or the pocket of the farmer. It 

 consists of a short strong stilett, terminating in three cutting-edges 

 converging to a point, and having a handle that may be grasped 

 with some force. To this is accurately fitted a silver tube, reaching 

 from the termination of the three edges to the handle. This is 

 plunged into the flank ; the stilett is then withdrawn and the tube 

 remains as long as the operator pleases, and may be secured by tapes 

 attached to two rings at the base of it, and tied round the body of 

 the animal. 



The gas is certainly extricated by the knife or trochar, and gene- 

 rally successfully so. When gas ceases to escape, it may be taken 

 for granted that the manufacture of it has ceased in the rumnn ; the 

 trocar may then be withdrawn, and the w^ound will speedily heal. 

 There are, however, occasional bad consequences, which are altogethei 



