DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGAN8. 45 



in releasing the imprisoned portion of the gut, then an incision about 

 4 inches long must be made in the right flank in a downward direc- 

 tion, the hand introduced into the abdomen, the situation and condi- 

 tion of swelling exactly ascertained, and then a probe-pointed knife 

 inserted between the imprisoned bowel and band compressing it, and 

 turned outward against the band, the latter being then cautiously 

 divided and the imprisoned gut allowed to escape, or, if necessary, the 

 bowel should be drawn gently from its position into the abdomen. 

 The wound in the flank must be brought together in the same way as 

 in the case of the wound made in operating forimpaction of the rumen. 



WOUNDS OF THE ABDOMEN. 



A wound of the abdomen may merely penetrate the skin; but as 

 such cases are not attended with much danger, nor their treatment 

 with much difficulty, we propose to consider here merely those wounds 

 which penetrate the entire thickness of the abdominal walls and 

 expose to a greater or less extent the organs contained in that cavity. 



Causes. — Such accidents may be occasioned by falling on fragments 

 of broken glass or other sharp objects. A blow from the horn of 

 another animal may produce a wound which penetrates the abdomen. 

 Exposure and protrusion of some of the abdominal organs may also be 

 occasioned by the incautious use of caustics in the treatment of 

 umbilical or ventral hernia. The parts which generally escape through 

 an abdominal wound are the small intestine and floating colon. 



Symptoms. — When the abdominal wound is small, the bowel exposed 

 presents the appearance of a small round tumor, but in a few moments 

 a loop of intestine may emerge from the opening. The animal then 

 shows symptoms of severe pain by pawing with his feet, which has the 

 effect of accelerating the passage of new loops of intestine through 

 the wound, so that the mass which they form may even touch the 

 ground. The pain becomes so great that the ox now not only paws 

 but lies down and rolls, thus tearing and crushing his bowels. In 

 such cases it is best to slaughter the animal at once; but in the case 

 of a valuable animal in which tearing and crushing of the bowels has 

 not taken place, the bowels should be washed with freshly boiled 

 water, reduced to the temperature of the body, and returned, and the 

 wounds in the muscle and skin brought together in a manner some- 

 what similar to that which was described in speaking of ventral hernia. 



DISEASES OP THE LIVER AND SPLEEN. 



JAUNDICE (THE YELLOWS, OR .CONGESTION OF THE LIVER). 

 [Plate IV.] 



When jaundice exists, there is a yellow appearance of the white of 

 the eyes and of the mucous membrane of the mouth. A similar aspect 

 of the skin may also be observed in animals which are either partly 



