RURAL VETERINARY SECRETS 179 



knee and hocks. The head should be fastened securely and the bulldog 

 may be inserted in the nose. The incision is made with a knife through 

 the skin. The operator can with his fingers secure the ovaries which 

 are snipped off by the spaying scissors, and then brought out. The inci- 

 sion should be just large enough to admit the hand. A stitch or two 

 through the skin, muscles and peritoneum draws the wound together, 

 tar being applied over all. The animal should be starved for thirty-six 

 hours before the operation and should only get light sloppy feed or 

 grass afterwards for a few days. 



RUPTURES 



Ruptures may occur in pigs and lambs. If shown after castration, 

 cleanse the bowels with tepid water containing some mild antiseptic 

 and return them, to do which it may be necessary to stand the animal 

 head downwards, and also to introduce the finger into the rectum. 

 When returned sew up the opening as close to the body as possible, 

 keep quiet and give but little food. The navel rupture (umbilical 

 hernia is the technical term) is often seen in foals, and quite frequently 

 disappears by the time the animal is a year old. Previous to that time 

 the enlargement may be blistered, some cases recovering from that 

 treatment ; if, however, it persists beyond the age stated, a good sur- 

 geon should be employed. 



Entires and geldings are sometimes ruptured in the region of the 

 groin (inguinal hernia) and the rupture may even extend down into 

 the scrotum in any male entire, constituting what is known as scrotal 

 hernia. In the latter case the skilled surgeon's help is needed ; the 

 former trouble (inguinal hernia is often the cause of severe colicky 

 symptoms in stallions and if not relieved, becomes fatal. The symp- 

 toms are as follows : Suddenness of attack, colicky pains growing 

 more intense all the time, arching the back, lying on the ground or sit- 

 ting up like a dog, pawing the ground, sweating heavily; the cord 

 (spermatic) will be thickened and the scrotum feel cold to the touch. 

 In such cases give a large dose of laudanum, three ounces in half a 

 pint of raw linseed oil. If possible throw and turn the animal on its 

 back and after oiling the hand introduce it into the rectum, and by 

 gentle traction inside and working outside the bowel may be returned. 



