270 



VETERINARY" SURGICAL operations 



cera, in search of a fine, wire-like cord (the vas deferens) 

 which, when felt, is hooked up or pinched between the fingers 

 and drawn toward the orifice. By the gentlest kind of trac- 

 tion the visceral pressure will bring the testicle through the 

 opening without difficulty. When there is any difficulty in 

 grasping the vas deferens effectually, Farmer Miles recom- 

 mended that it be trapped firmly between the two fingers by 

 crossing the third over the index finger. Although these 

 manipulations are executed in a few moments by the ex-, 

 perienced operator, the novice should work slowly and with 

 great caution, even if ten, fifteen or twenty minutes is con- 

 sumed in the search. The manipulations must be excep- 



Fig. 136— Cryptorchidic Testicle. 



tiOnally gentle, because the application of force will, soon 

 widen the perforation beyond the limits of safety. 



If after diligent search it is found positively certain 

 that the vas deferens is not within the reach of the fingers, 

 the whole hand is passed through the perforation and a sys- 

 tematic search is made with all the fingers, but this step 

 must only be taken as a last resort, because a perforation 

 large enough to admit the hand invites prolapsus of the in- 

 testines, often with disastrous results. Another method of 

 meeting this exigency is to make a new incision along Pou- 

 part's ligament and then penetrate the abdominal cavity 

 behind it with the whole hand. This method prevents pro- 

 lapse because the pressure of the thigh effectually closes the 

 perforation, no matter how large. 



