DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 45 



passed into the rectum should be pressed gently on the swelling in an 

 upward and forward direction, so as to endeavor to push the im- 

 prisoned portion of the bowel back into the abdomen. While this is 

 being done the ox's hind feet should stand on higher ground than the 

 front, so as to favor the slipping out of the bowel by its own weight, 

 and at the same time an assistant should squeeze the animal's loins, 

 so as to cause it to bend downward and so relax the band formed by 

 the spermatic cord. If the imprisoned portion of gut is freed, which 

 may be ascertained by the disappearance of the swelling, the usual 

 sounds produced by the bowels moving in the abdomen will be heard, 

 and in a few houi-s the feces and urine will be passed as usual. If the 

 means mentioned fail in releasing the imprisoned portion of the gut, 

 then an incision about 4 inchcvS long must be made in the right flank 

 in a downward direction, the hand introduced into the abdomen, the 

 situation and condition of swelling exactly ascertained, and then a 

 probe-pointed knife inserted between the imprisoned bowel and band 

 compressing it. and turned outward against the band, the latter 

 being then cautiously divided and the imprisoned gut allowed to 

 escape, or, if necessary, the bowel should he drawn gently from its 

 position into the abdomen. The wound in the flank must be brought 

 together in the same way as in the case of the wound made in 

 operating for impaction of the rumen. 



WOUNDS OF THK ABDOMEN. 



A wound of the abdomen may merely penetrate the skin ; but as 

 such cases are not attended Avith much danger, nor their treatment 

 with much difficulty, we propose to consider here merely those wounds 

 which penetrate the entire thickness of the abdominal walls and 

 expose to a gi-eater or less extent the organs contained in that ca\aty. 



CoMses. — Such accidents may be occasioned by falling on fragments 

 of broken glass or other sharp objects. A blow from the horn of 

 another animal may produce a wound w'hich penetrates the abdomen. 

 Exposure and protrusion of some of the abdominal organs may also 

 be occasioned by the incautious use of caustics in the treatment of 

 umbilical or ventral hernia. The parts which generally escape 

 through an abdominal wound are the small intestine and floating 

 colon. 



Symptoms. — AVhen the abdominal wound is small, the bowel ex- 

 posed presents the appearance of a small round tumor, but in a few 

 moments a loop of intestine may emerge from the opening. The ani- 

 mal then shows symptoms of severe pain by pawing with his feet, 

 which has the effect of accelerating the passage of new loops of in- 

 testine through the wound, so that the mass which they form may 

 even touch the gi-ound. The pain becomes so great that the ox now 

 not only paws but lies down and rolls, thus tearing and crushing his 



