ENTEROCENTESIS 39 



readily aspirated with the canula and trocar passed through 

 the abdominal wall. The rumen, the folded colon and the 

 caecum are the organs which may be thus evacuated. 



The aspirations include a number of special operations 

 which require description in detail. These are: 



1. Enterocentesis— puncturing the intestines to evacu- 

 ate gases. 



2. Celiocentesis — puncturing the peritoneal cavity to 

 evacuate the fluid of ascites. 



3. Thoracocentesis — puncturing the thorax to evacuate 

 the fluid of hydrothorax. 



4. Thecocentesis — puncturing synovial sheaths or 

 bursse, to evacuate excessive synovial accumulations. 



5. Gastrocentesis— puncturing the stomach or rumen to 

 evacuate gases. 



6. Cystocentesis — puncturing the urinary bladder to 

 evacuate excessive accumulations of urine during temporary 

 strictures. 



7. Keratocentesis— puncturing the eye-ball, to evacuate 

 the aqueous humor in purulent inflammations of the cham- 

 bers of the eye. 



Enterocentesis. 



SYNONYMS.— Paracentesis abdominalis; tapping; rad- 

 ical operation for flatulent colic. 



DEFINITION. — Enterocentesis signifies puncturing the 

 bowels. In veterinary surgery it is an appropriate designa- 

 tion for the evacuation of intestinal gases by means of the 

 trocar and canula. The name "paracentesis abdominalis" is 

 very frequently applied to this special operation, without a 

 qualifying word to indicate that the viscera and not only the 

 abdominal walls are punctured- This name being a general 

 one should be abandoned for the more special term "enter- 

 ocentesis," which immediately identifies the object of the' 

 procedure. 



INDICATIONS. — Enterocentesis is performed for the 

 single purpose of evacuating gases which accumulate in the 

 large bowels during the course of various forms of colics in 

 the horse, and sometimes in the large ruminants. The oper- 

 ation is especially indicated when the bloating is extreme and 

 threatening, but is sometimes justified when the intra-abdom- 

 inal tension is less formidable. When the tension is great, 

 the bowels stretched, the lungs pressed forward, the aorta 

 and vena cava compressed and the caecum forced into the 

 pelvis, evacuation of the gases through the natural channel 



