SCEOTAL HEKXIA. 309 



Treatment I must caution all, that when hernia is pre- 

 sent drugs of any kind are very dangerous. An operation is 

 indispensable, and in scrotal hernia the line of practice is to 

 place the animal on its back, and by the taxis to return the 

 intestine into the abdomen. When this is found impractic- 

 able, an operation has to be performed, which consists in 

 dividing the constriction and castrating the animal by the 

 covered operation.* 



The first winter I was in Edinburgh, a remarkable case 

 came under my observation. An aged gelding was seized 

 with severe symptoms of colic, and a practitioner was called 

 upon to treat it. He administered one of the antispasmodic 

 draughts which I have before condemned. I happened to 

 see the animal in pain, and, on examining it, found a scrotal 

 hernia. In fact, I did not think the animal was a gelding 

 until I had it cast, applied the taxis, relieved the animal, and 

 .saw that the horse was castrated. 



VENTEAL HEENIA. 



This is an accident, which consists in the intestine pro- 

 truding through an artificial opening in the abdominal walls, 

 produced by violence. The size varies very greatly in different 

 cases, and we rarely find that strangulation occurs. Ventral 

 herniae are rarely curable, except when recent; and I should 

 recommend every practitioner called to an animal shortly 

 after the accident, to cast at once, make a moderate incision 

 into the hernia! sac, and having pressed the intestine into the 

 abdomen, introduce a number of strong metallic sutures 

 through the muscular wound. Thus treated, the cases some- 

 times do well, however extensive the laceration may be. i 

 do not advise compression, &c., as adhesion occurs between. 



* Sen the Veterinarian's Vade-Mecum, Second Edition 



