Diseases of the Digestive Organs. 257 



internal organ through a natural oi unnatural opening. 

 Of abdominal organs the bowels and omentum are those 

 that most commonly protrude, though the womb often es- 

 capes in bitches. According to the structure through 

 which the organ passes the hernia is named: — into the 

 chest, diaphragmatic or phrenic ; through the omentum or 

 mesentery, omental, mesenteric ; through the navel, umhUical; 

 into the scrotum, inguinal or scrotal; through the femoral 

 arch to the inner side of the thigh, /emo?'a?; through an 

 artificial opening in the walls of the abdomen, ventral, 

 through the relaxed walls of the vagina, vaginal. 



Diaphragmatic Hernia may occur from violent muscular 

 efforts, from the violent shock of a heavy abdominal organ 

 on the midriff in leaping or from laceration with a broken 

 rib or other offending body. The worst cases are sud- 

 denly fatal from suffocation. In others there is a sudden 

 access of difficult breathing with gurgling sounds on aus- 

 cultating the chest. In stiU others, with a smaller ruptui-e, 

 the rumbling in the chest may be absent but there is vio- 

 lent, continuous cohc and rapid prostration as in obstruc- 

 tion. In the slightest forms there is only an extra lifting 

 of the flanks as in heaves. Treatment is useless, though 

 rest and anodynes will allow a slight case to merge into 

 the chronic form. 



Mesenteric and Omental Hernia give rise to complete ob- 

 struction of the bowels and can rarely be recognized nor 

 remedied. 



Umbilical Hernia is common in horses, dogs and very 

 young ruminants. It is usually congenital but may result 

 from violent straining, running or jumping. The swelling 

 is very manifest and when handled its contents are found 

 to move on each other, to gurgle and to pass back in a 

 mass when pressed. 



Treatment is often needless, the sac beconr.ing effaced 



with growth. If not, make a soft pad for the navel and 



attach it to elastic bands passing round the body and fixed 



in their turn to otters extending back from a collar round 



17 



