152 DISEASES OF THE STOMACH 



the peritoneal cavity when the incision is made. Have an 

 assistant support the stomach by grasping it at either end 

 with thumb and finger. Make the incision at the greater 

 curvature and at right angles to the long axis of the stomach, 

 and at a point where the bloodvessels are few and small. 

 The organ is best opened by puncturing with a sharp pointed 

 bistoury through the muscular and mucous coats and then 

 enlarging it with the scissors, the length of incision depending 

 upon the size of the foreign body to be removed. The removal 

 of large sharp pointed bodies must be done with care and, if 

 possible, they should be crushed to av*>id making too long 

 an incision. Blunt dressing forceps are useful to grasp small 

 objects. The division of the muscular coat allows it to con- 

 tract while the mucous coat projects out through the excess 

 of mucous membrane so that its edges may be evenly approxi- 

 mated. Suture the mucous membrane with interrupted 

 sutures one-eighth of an inch apart, then suture the muscular 

 coat in the same way, being careful to bring the edges in 

 close contact. A Lembert suture is then applied over the 

 wound to invert it. This is made by inserting the needle 

 through a small portion of the muscular coat on one side of 

 the wound, carrying it over and inserting the same way on 

 the other side, and these when tied will invert the wound 

 and bring the peritoneal surfaces of either side of the wound 

 in apposition, which favors an early adhesion and prevents 

 the escape of the stomach contents. These sutures will be 

 encapsuled and are not to be removed. Cleanse the surface 

 of the stomach and return to the abdominal cavity. All 

 food should be withheld for twenty-four hours, after which 

 time a small amount of liquid food (milk, beef broth) may 

 be fed for a few days when the regular diet may be given. 



ACUTE DILATATION OF THE STOMACH. 



Etiology.— This condition is observed more frequently in 

 dogs and rabbits than in other small animals. It is most 

 frequently produced by overloading the stomach, especially 

 when large quantities of indigestible or dry foods are taken. 

 Such substances as potatoes, bread (dry), dog biscuits, blood, 



