OVARIECTOMY IN THE BITCH 



301 



ANTISEPSIS. — The belly must be shaved and washed 

 well with lysol solution or mercuric chloride after having 

 been submitted to a good cleansing with soap and water. 

 To prevent shedding hairs from entering the field the sur- 

 rounding parts are wet down with water and the whole re- 

 gion except the field itself covered with towels. Only boiled 

 instruments are absolutely safe, although immersion in 

 phenol for some minutes must answer where boiling can not 



Fig ISO — The Author's Ovariectomy Forcep for 

 Bitches. 



be done. Manual manipulations of the viscera and abdomi- 

 nal incision is avoided as much as possible. 



PREPARATION. — As an empty alimentary canal 

 greatly facilitates matters a course of dieting should precede 

 the' operation. Solid food is withheld during at least the 

 preceding three days ; only liquids are allowed and these 

 in limited quantities during the last twelve hours. 



TECHNIQUE. — First Step.— Location of the Incision. 



— The line of incision is about one and a half inches long, 

 crossing the umbilicus so that the anterior half inch over- 

 laps it. It is preferable to select a line at one side of the 

 linea alba, in order to avoid a hernia arising from the failure 

 of this poorly nourished fibrous structure to unite promptly. 

 If the incision is made too far posteriorly there may be some 

 difficulty encountered in bringing the ovary through the in- 



