INGUINAL HERNIA. 287 



lation of the part, succeeded, towards the end, by insensibility. We 

 may feel for the presence of the hernia by passing the fingers of 

 one hand along the course of the cord towards the inguinal canal, 

 and the first and second fingers of the other hand through that 

 canal from the inside after having put the hand, previously anointed 

 with oil, into the rectum. In health, the tips of the fingers of the 

 two opposing hands can be brought almost to touch each other 

 with only the skin of the scrotum between them. In hernia, a 

 greater amount of tissue proportionate to the progress of the ail- 

 ment, will be interposed between the fingers. In case of doubt 

 during this examination, the same procedure should be tried on 

 the other side, so as to be able to compare the two results of 

 touch. 



CHANCES OF RECOVERY FROM ACUTE INGUINAL 

 HERNIA. — If unrelieved, the patient will die within, as a rule, 

 twenty-four hours of the first appearance of symptoms of pain. 

 According to H. Bouley, the case will probably terminate fatally, if 

 treatment be delayed beyond the fifteenth hour. 



TREATMENT OF ACUTE INGUINAL HERNIA.— Owing to 

 the great danger of allowing inguinal hernia to remain unrelieved, 

 we should in all cases of colic affecting entires, at first examine 

 the patient for this accident. There is so little probability of being 

 able to return the escaped loop of intestine into the abdomen while 

 the horse is standing up, except, perhaps, during the first hour or 

 so, that we should not lose much time making the attempt. 

 Of course, the longer the delay, the greater will be the diffi- 

 culty in returning the tumour, on account of the continued 

 transudation of wateiy fluid from the imprisoned blood-vessels ; 

 to say nothing of the mischief going on in the part. If we fail 

 to effect our purpose while our patient is on his legs, we should 

 put him down on a soft bed, with his hind quarters higher than his 

 head, which, for instance, may be placed down an incline. If 

 possible, we should bring him under the influence of chloroform, 

 so as to produce muscular relaxation, which will be a great aid to 

 reducing the heraia. We should then turn the horse on his back, 

 prop him up with, for example, trusses of straw, separate both 

 hind legs, draw the hind leg of the side on which the hernia has 

 taken place backwards and outwards, so as to aid the return of 

 the tumour by dilating the inguinal canal, and proceed to draw 

 the intestine into the abdomen by taxis, which is the term applied 

 to the " process by which parts that have left their natural situa- 

 tion are replaced by the hand without the aid of instruments " 

 (Stormouth). If the symptoms of pain have not continued longer 



