268 



VETERINARY SURGICAL OPERATIONS 



of the operator's hand. As there is no objection to a long 

 incision, it is well not to handicap the hand in a tight place. 

 The incision is made. parallel to and one to one and a half 

 inches from the median raphe over the external inguinal 

 ring; in other words, across the undeveloped scrotal sac. 

 The exact position is easily determined by comparison with 

 the opposite side, where there is either a testicle or scar 

 from which to locate the middle of the incision. The skin 

 of the scrotum is stretched between the thumb and finger of 

 the left hand and the knife is drawn backward carefully so 

 as not to cut too deep where there is some danger of cutting 

 underlying vessels, the bleeding of which would be annoying 

 and harmful. It is the practice of some operators to stretch 

 the scrotum by grabbing the end of the sheath with the left 

 hand, but as the sheath is always dirty this can only be 



Pig. 135 — Position of Fingers While Opening the Inguinal Canal and 

 Perforating the Peritoneal Cavity. 



recommended when done by an assistant. The incision in- * 

 eludes the skin and the dartos. 



Second Step. — Opening the Inguinal Canal. — The four 

 fingers of each hand, placed back to back, are pushed into the 

 incision about one inch in depth and then with consider- 

 able force the edge of the canal is torn open for passage of 

 one hand into it. The course of the hand is now downward 

 and forward toward the flank just beneath the skin, to the 

 depth of six to nine inches, according to the size of. the 

 horse. The fingers are closed cone-shaped and the pene- 

 tration is effected by rotation and gentle forward pressure 

 until the desired depth is reached. The hand is in the proper 

 position for the next step of the operation when it is buried 

 six to nine inches and the fingers can be felt under the skin 

 about one-half inch from the surface of the body. Most of 

 the failures are due to pushing the hand downward directly 

 into the abdominal cavity instead of directing it beneath the 



