THE FEMALE GENERATIVE ORGANS 305 



incised in several places the danger is materially increased. 

 The abdominal walls and skin are sutured and treated as in 

 laparotomy. 



The Chief sequelae to be dreaded are collapse and peri- 

 tonitis, and the percentage of successes is very low compared 

 with those of hysterectomy. Successful cases have, however, 

 been recorded, pregnancy afterwards taking place, and suc- 

 cessful delivery being effected without difficulty.^ 



Stricture. 



Stricture of the vagina may be a congenital malformation, 

 but it is much more frequently met with as a sequel to severe 

 operative measures for the removal of vaginal growths. In 

 examining a brood bitch for purchase, it is one of the principal 

 things to be sought for ; it can readily be detected by digital 

 examination. 



Treatment. — ■ Preventive treatment, after surgical inter- 

 ference with the vagina, consists in the passage of the finger 

 (or some blunt, rounded instrument of convenient size) once 

 or twice a day, at the operator's discretion, for a month or 

 six weeks, so as to keep the orifice dilated until healing has 

 completely taken place. 



When the stricture is already present, it must be forcibly 

 broken down under local (or general) anaesthesia, and for 

 this purpose digital manipulation, first \\ith one finger and 

 then with another, is often successful. An instrument like 

 an ordinary glove-finger stretcher (in fact this article im- 

 provises very well) is inserted and the stricture gradually 

 but firmly broken down. Care must be taken to keep it 

 from re-forming by continual daily use of the instrument for 

 a prolonged period. 



' y\.2i\ki\%., Jownal of Comparative Pathology and Therapeutics, vol. ii., 

 p. 277 ; Laithwood, idem., vol. xii., p. 335. 



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