412 VETERINARY SURGICAL OPERATIONS 



Aspiration of the Stomach of Horses. 



DEFINITION. — A method of evacuating the contents 

 of an overloaded stomach by means of a stomach tube and 

 force pump. - 



INDICATIONS. — The indication for the operation is 

 the so-called case of "acute indigestion" induced by over- 

 eating. The gastric content is transformed into a semi-solid, 

 fermenting mass that causes serious distress, manifested by 

 colic, bloating and eructations of gas. The disease is often 

 fatal and is always more or less refractory to medical treat- 

 ment. The administration of antacids, antiferments and 

 purgatives often fails to afford relief until the stomach has 

 suffered irreparable damage and the patient has become ex- 

 hausted from the long duration of the pain and distress, and 

 severe cases may end fatally in a few hours, or even less, 

 despite the best medical treatment. These facts at once 

 show the wisdom of immediately evacuating the stomach 

 in all cases of ordinary severity and to rely upon medical 

 treatment only in the exceptionally trivial ones. The relief 

 is instantaneous, the cure is perfect and the stomach is pro- 

 tected against damage that would predispose to subsequent 

 attacks. In short, aspiration should be adopted as the 

 standard treatment of acute indigestion, because besides 

 being effectual, it harmonizes with the trend of modern 

 therapeutic ideals. It removes the cause without ceremony. 



RESTRAINT. — The operation is performed in the 

 standing position. The head is supported at a convenient 

 height by an assistant. As the patient is already in great 

 pain twitching is unnecessary; and besides the twitch would 

 interfere with the entrance of the tube into the nares. 



INSTRUMENTS, ETC.-i. A nine-foot stomach tube. 



2. A pump equipped with a nozzle to which the stomach 

 tube can be easily attached and removed. 



3. Plenty of water in pails. 



The tube should be marked at two points; one 16 inches, 

 and one %y 2 feet from the end. The first indicates the 

 distance to the pharynx, the second the distance to the 

 stomach. 



TECHNIQUE.— First Step.— Passing the Tube into the 

 Stomach. — The nasal route is the preferable one, although 

 some practitioners prefer the oral route. The disadvantage 

 of the former is occasional epistaxis provoked by inflicting 

 injury to the nasal mucosa while passing the tube through 

 the nasal meatus, while the latter is objectionable on account 



