VAGINAL OVARIOTOMY IN THE MARE 105 



The knife should be pushed through the vagina quickly, 

 niaking a clean wound the width of the blade, when the 

 latter is to be withdrawn and laid aside. It should be re- 

 membered that in this "ballooned'' state, the anterior wall 

 of the vagina is but 2 or 3 mm. thick and easily penetrated. 

 Introduce the hand again, push one finger into the incis- 

 ion, then a second and third, and eventually holding all 

 the fingers in the form of a cone, push the entire hand into 

 the peritoneal cavity. Immediately below the incision and 

 continuous with the tissues involved in the wound, lies the 

 uterus .with a transverse diameter of 4 to 6 cm. With the 

 palm of the hand downward, trace the uterus forward a dis- 

 tance of 15 to 18 cm., where it ends abruptly in two coruua 

 of about the same size as the body, which are given off 

 horizontally at almost tight angles. Trace these to the 

 right and left for a distance of 14 or 15 cm., where they end 

 obtusely, and 3 or 4 cm. beyond this in a direct line, resting 

 upon the anterior border of the broad ligament is the dense 

 oval ovary varying in size from 2.5 to 7 cm. in diameter. 



Prepare the ecraseur for use by withdrawing the chain 

 until the loop is of barely sufficient size to admit of its being 

 readily slipped over the ovary. Grasp this loop and the 

 end of the ecraseur tube in the hand, carry the instrument 

 to the ovary and drop the loop over it from above. Pass 

 some of the fingers beneath the ovary and push it up 

 through the chain loop and grasp it there with the thumb 

 and index finger. Holding the ovary with one hand, tighten 

 the chain quickly with the other, examine to make sure 

 that a loop of intestine is not caught, draw the ovary well 

 through and get a large portion of the oviduct, and crush 

 off promptly, holding to the gland until carried out through 

 the vulva. Remove the other ovary in the same way. 

 Generally it is most convenient to remove the left ovary 

 with the right hand and vice-versa, but each may be re- 

 moved with either hand. Wash away any blood from the 



