40 VETERINARY SURGICAL OPERATIONS 



is out of the question. The condition must then be met with 

 prompt artificial evacuation by means of the trocar and 

 canula plunged into the bloated bowels through the right 

 flank. Other less formidable degrees of bloating also some- 

 times justify the operation. Gas in nominal amounts pent 

 up in different sections of the folded colon or caecum, al- 

 though not sufficient to cause immediate harm, perpetuate 

 the pain, exhaust the peristaltic force, depress the vital forces 

 by becoming absorbed, and thus often prolong a colic into 

 a critical state of inflammation or impaction which might 

 have been prevented by an early artificial evacuation. Ordi- 

 narily these minor bloatings can be dispatched by such simple 

 remedies as eserine, carminatives, enemas, exercise, intesti- 

 nal massage through the rectum, etc., but when these fail to 

 effect an early relief enterocentesis must not be too long post- 

 poned. In old horses especially, slight flatulence often does 

 irremediable harm if not promptly expelled or abstracted. 

 General intestinal atony or local intestinal dilations of aged 

 animals predispose to total suspension of all peristaltic move- 

 ments, when these lesions are submitted to further injury by 

 the irritation and pressure of confined gases. Furthermore, 

 the pressure of a bloated section against another very fre- 

 quently effectually blocks all movements of the intestinal con- 

 tents. The bloated colon may squeeze the ileum and thus 

 practically arrest all intestinal movements. If the tension 

 is diminished the peristalsis returns and normal evacuation of 

 the remaining gas and gas-forming ingesta soon brings about 

 the desired relief. 



These and other critical situations into which the complex 

 intestinal mechanism may be placed by bloating clearly ex- 

 emplify the necessity of frequently resorting to enterocen- 

 tesis in the treatment of colics, and especially'the importance 

 of not delaying the operation until an incurable damage has 

 been done. In short, the operation must be promptly per- 

 formed in all cases of extreme tension and in all cases of 

 minor bloatings that can not be promptly relieved by the 

 usual palliative remedies. 



EQUIPMENT.— The intestinal trocar and canula, pref- 

 erably Fash's instrument, (Fig. 22) a scissors to clip the hairs, 

 an antiseptic solution to wash the field, and a bit of vaseline 

 to lubricate the canula, are the only requirements. 



RESTRAINT. — Ordinarily no form of restraint, except 

 a firm hold of the halter by the attendant, is necessary. A 

 restive animal may be twitched ; usually however the intense 

 internal pain renders the subject perfectly tractable. The 



