THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM. 279 



pression of the skin after return of the bowel^ either by 

 clamps or ligature. Two forms of clamps are suggested,, the 

 wooden, somewhat resembling the ordinary caustic wood 

 clamp for castration, jointed at one end, and arranged for 

 retention at the other by a ligature, and the iroriy consist- 

 ing of bars, averaging about seven inches in length, con- 

 nected together at each extremity by a screw (Fig. 58.) The 

 ligature treatment consists in careful return of the protruded 

 viscus, after which skewers are passed through the loose skin 

 covering the hernia at right angles to one another. A 

 cord is then tied round the skin between the abdomen 

 and the skewers, but too great pressure must not be 

 exerted, for the aim must be to excite extravasation of 

 plastic lymph to block up the umbilicus, and not rapid 

 strangulation of the puckered skin leading to sloughing. 

 An elastic ligature or ring is admirably adapted for these 

 cases, since it accommodates itself to diminutions in size 

 of the peduncle as they occur. In either of these opera- 

 tions the animal must be thrown and kept on its back, 

 which will facilitate the return of the contents of the sac ; 

 and as such cases in young animals as are operated on are 

 not liable to be adherent, there is but little chance of 

 injury of the intestines with the skewers, and will be none 

 if proper care be taken. 



Ventral Hernia. — Protrusions of portions of abdominal 

 viscera through ruptures in the abdominal muscular walls. 

 The case is generally one of enterocele, and most fre- 

 quently results from cattle butting one another and from 

 " staking.^^ It appears suddenly, and the tumours present 

 all the characters of a hernia as above enumerated. These 

 cases are apt to become chronic, and a fibrous state of the 

 margins of the opening occurs. They are not likely to 

 become strangulated, but a hernia is always liable to 

 injury. When small and recent, they may be treated by 

 application of a powerful blister, which will promote repair, 

 but when small and chronic, they may be left alone ; but in 

 cows they are liable to become enlarged during parturition. 

 The operation for radical cure consists in careful incision 

 through the skin after return of the contents. The edges of 



