44 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 



Causes. — Among the causes of peritoneal hernia considerable impor- 

 tance is attached to a method of castration which is practiced in cer- 

 tain districts, viz, the tearing or rupturing of the spermatic cord by 

 main force instead of dividing it at a proper distance above the 

 testicle in a surgical manner. After this violent and rough method 

 of operating, the cord retracts into the abdomen and its stump becomes 

 adherent to some part of the peritoneum, or it may Avind around the 

 bowel and then the stump becomes adherent, so that strangulation of 

 the bowel results. The rough dragging on the cord may also cause a 

 tear in the peritoneum, the result of which need not be described. 

 The severe exertion of ascending hills and mountains, drawing heavy 

 loads, or the straining which oxen undergo while fighting each other 

 may also give rise to peritoneal hernia. 



Si/mpt&ms. — The ox suddenly becomes very restless, stamps with 

 his feet, moves backward and forward, hurriedly lies down, rises, 

 moA'es his tail uneasily, and kicks at his belly with the foot of the 

 affected side. The pain evinced may diminish, but soon returns 

 again. In the early stage there are frequent passages of dung, but 

 after the lapse of 18 or 24 hours this ceases, the bowel apparently 

 being emptied up to the point of strangidation, and the passages now 

 consist only of a little mucus mixed with blood. AVhen injections are 

 given at this time the water passes out of the bowel without even 

 being colored. The animal lies down on the side where the hernia 

 exists and stretches out his hind feet in a backward direction. These 

 two particular symptoms serve to distinguish this affection from en- 

 teritis and invagination of the bowel. As time passes, the animal 

 becomes quieter, but this cessation of pain may indicate that gangrene 

 of the bowel has set in, and may. therefore, under certain circum- 

 stances, be considered a precursor of death. Gangi-ene may take 

 place in from four to six days, when perforation of the bowel may 

 occur and death result in a short time. 



Treatment. — The ox should in the first place be examined by oiling 

 the hand and arm and passing it into the rectum ; the hand should be 

 passed along the margin of the pelvis, beginning at the sacrum and 

 continuing downward toward the inguinal ring, when a soft, painful 

 swelling will be felt, which may vary from the size of an apple to that 

 of the two fists. This swelling will be felt to be tightly compref«ed 

 by the spermatic cord. It very rarely happens that there is any 

 similar swelling on the left side, though it is best in such cases to make 

 a thorough examination. The bowel has sometimes been released 

 from its position by driving the ox down a hill, by causing him to 

 jump from a height of 2 feet to the gi*ound, and the expedient of 

 trotting him has been resorted to with the hope that the jolting 

 movement might bring about a release of the bowel. If the simple ex- 

 pedients mentioned have been tried and failed, then the hand being 



