48 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 



afterwards brought together by stitches of silk ^thread. Then a com- 

 press composed of ten or twelve folds of cloth must be placed smoothly 

 over the seat of injury and a bandage applied round the body, the two 

 ends being fastened at the back. In the smaller kinds of hernia nitric 

 acid may sometimes be applied with success. This treatment should 

 not be applied until the swelling and inflammation attending the appear- 

 ance of the hernia have subsided, then the contents of the hernia hav- 

 ing been returned, the surface of skin corresponding to it is sponged 

 over with a solution composed of one part of nitric acid to two parts of 

 water. This treatment acts by exciting considerable inflammation, 

 which has the effect of causing swelling and thus frequently closing 

 the hernia! opening and preventing the contents of the sac from return- 

 ing. A second application should not be made until the inflammation 

 excited by the first has subsided. In what is termed spontaneous her- 

 nia it is useless to apply any kind of treatment. 



UMBILICAL HERNIA. 



The umbilicus, or navel, is the aperture through which the blood-ves- 

 sels pass from the mother to the fetus, and naturally the sides of this 

 aperture ought to adhere or unite after birth. In very young animals, 

 and sometimes in new-born calves, this aperture in the abdominal mus- 

 cles remains open and a part of the bowel or a portion of the mesentery 

 may slip through the opening, constituting what is called umbilical 

 hernia. The wall of the sac is formed by the skin which is covered on 

 the inner surface by a layer of cellular tissue, and within this there is 

 sometimes, but not always, a layer of peritoneum. The contents of 

 the hernia may be formed by a part of the bowel, by a portion of the 

 peritoneum, or may contain portions of both peritoneum and bowel. 

 When the sac contains only peritoneum it has a doughy feel, but when 

 it is formed by a portion of the bowel it will be more elastic on apply- 

 ing pressure. 



Causes. In the new-born animal the opening of the navel is gener- 

 ally too large, and this opening may sometimes give way to the pres- 

 sure of the bowel on account of the weak and relaxed condition of the 

 abdominal muscles. This defective and abnormal condition of the 

 umbilicus is frequently hereditary. It may be occasioned by roughly 

 pulling away the umbilical cord 5 through kicks or blows on the belly; 

 through any severe strainingby which the sides of the navel are stretched 

 apart. We may mention in this connection that it is best in new-born 

 calves to tie the umbilical cord tightly about two inches from the navel, 

 and then to leave it alone, when it will drop off in a few days in most 

 cases, leaving the navel in a closed condition. 



Treatment. It is well to bear in mind that many, and especially the 

 smaller, umbilical hernias will heal spontaneously, that is, nature effects 

 a cure, As the animal gets older the abdominal muscles get stronger 

 and possess more power of resistance to pressure, the bowels become 



