114 WOUNDS AND BRUISES. 



on a probe passed from the original wound and made to project 

 between two ribs, as the relations of the walls and contents of the 

 cavity are often much altered in these cases, and unless a guide is 

 obtained in this way, either the diaphragm or the lung might be 

 accidentally wounded. Large drainage tubes should be inserted at 

 the wound and the counter-opening if one has been made. As the 

 treatment of a case of empyema is similar to that of an abscess 

 (p. 77), syringe out the pleural sac with a solution of hydrogen 

 peroxide in water (1 to 10) if necessary. 



Bleeding after Castration. 



Owing to weakness of the walls of the blood-vessels, unusual size 

 of the artery, unskilful manipulation, or other causes, serious 

 bleeding may occur after castration. It may be stopped by getting 

 hold of the end of the severed cord, and ligaturing the artery, or 

 again dividing the cord, higher up, with the ecraseur. The treat- 

 ment for the arrest of bleeding, recommended on pages 71 and 72, 

 should be adopted here. Some practitioners recommend that an 

 enema or two of water, as cold as possible, should be given ; and 

 others, that a lump of ice should be placed within the scrotum. 

 Fleming advises the applicatioii of a folded horse-rug, saturated 

 with oold water, across the loins for a few minutes. I have found 

 the best results to be obtained by casting the animal, putting him 

 on his back, removing the blood from the cavity in the scrotum 

 with a sponge, securing the bleeding ends of the arteries with an 

 artery torsion forceps, and twisting them, or even by seizing the 

 cut ends of the arteries with the fingers, and keeping them firmly 

 compressed for a few minutes, after which the bleeding has gener- 

 ally ceased. 



Peritonitis. 



This is inflammation of the peritoneum, the smooth and glisten- 

 ing membrane that lines the walls of the abdomen and covers the 

 stomach, liver, spleen, intestines, and other abdominal organs. It 

 descends, at each side, through the inguinal canal, lines the 

 scrotum and covers the testicles. The peritoneum thus forms a 

 closed cavity -er sac. 



NATURE. — As the peritoneum is a serous membrane, inflammation in it 

 is followed by a more ot less copious secretion of watery fluid (serum), with 

 the usual symptoms of redness, suppuration, and the formation of adhesions. 

 The liability to and danger of peritonitis is directly proportionate to the 

 contamination of the part. The experience of the operation of ovariotomy 

 shows us that the peritoneal cavity may be opened and freely exposed to 

 the air without any great risk of the occurrence of septic peritonitis, 



