ABLATION OF SCIRRHOUS CORDS 305 



may be expected. The accident is prevented by ef- 

 fectual body wraps, and when it has occurred the treatment 

 should consist of prompt return of the bowels after having 

 submitted them to a thorough cleansing, and of closing the 

 wound with through-and-through. interrupted sutures. 



(4) Anorexia persisting for a few days, is a quite com- 

 mon sequel, but is more common in cats than in bitches. 

 There is no apparent cause in many cases, and despite treat- 

 ment death sometimes supervenes from actual starvation. 

 Alcoholic stimulants, aromatic bitters and forced feeding is 

 the proper treatment. 



(5) Shock sometimes supervenes a prolonged operation 

 performed without anaesthesia, and in which considerable 

 blood has been lost. This accident is met with strychnia, 

 ammoniacal stimulants, friction, tight abdominal pressure 

 and subcutaneous injections of normal salt solution. 



(6) Septic peritonitis is by no means as common a se- 

 quel in bitches as in the larger domestic animals, but it does 

 occasionally occur after abominably filthy operations, or in 

 enfeebled animals where the antiseptic precautions were not 

 free from fault. The prevailing impression ( that dogs can 

 tolerate filthy abdominal surgery with impunity should be 

 dispelled if this formidable although uncommon sequel is 

 expected to be prevented. 



Ovariectomy in Cats. 



There is no essential difference in the technique from 

 that described above, except that the smallness of kittens 

 makes the operation somewhat more tedious. It is in the 

 sequelae that the greatest difference is found. Cats are much 

 more sensitive to ovariectomy than bitches; all of the se- 

 quelae are more likely to occur and in a much more severe 

 form. Hernia, septic peritonitis, and anorexia are quite 

 common. 



Ablation of Scirrhous Cords. 



INDICATIONS. — The decision to operate upon an en- 

 larged spermatic cord depends upon whether the tumefaction 

 is in reality a permanent sclerosis, an encroaching new 

 growth, or simply a temporary swollen condition depend- 

 ent upon an active though sometimes stubborn inflamma- 

 tory process that will eventually subside spontaneously. It 

 sometimes happens after castration that one or both of the 

 spermatic cords become the seat of an inflammation that 



