INGUINAL HERNIA. 285 



insensibility. We may feel for the presence of the hernia by 

 passing the fingers of one hand along the course of the cord towards 

 the inguinal canal, and the first and second fingers of the other ' 

 liand through that canal from thfe inside after having put the hand, 

 previously anointed with oil, into the rectum. In health, the tips 

 of the fingers of the two opposing hands can be brought almost to 

 touch each other with only the skin of the scrotum between them. 

 In hernia, a greater amount of tissue proportionate to the progress 

 of the ailment, will be interposed between the fingers. In> case of 

 doubt during this examination, the same procedure should be tried 

 on the other side, so as to be able to compare the two results of 

 touch. 



CHANCES OF RECOVERY PROM ACUTE INGUINAL 

 HERNIA. — If unrelieved, the patient will die within, as a rule, 

 twenty-four hours of the first appearance of symptoms of pain. 

 The case will probably terminate fatally, if treatment be delayed 

 beyond the fifteenth hour. 



TREATMENT OF ACUTE INGUINAL HERNIA.— Owing to 

 the great danger of allowing inguinal hernia to remain unrelieved, 

 in all cases of colic affecting entires, first examine the patient 

 for this accident. There is so little probability of being able to 

 return the escaped loop of intestine into the abdomen while the 

 horse is standing up, except, perhaps, during the first hour or so, 

 that time should not be lost making the attempt. Of course, the 

 longer the delay, the greater will be the difficulty in returning 

 the tumour, on account of the continued transudation of watery 

 fluid from the imprisoned blood-vessels; to .say nothing of the 

 mischief going on in the part. If the effort fails while the patient 

 is on his legs, put him down on a soft bed, with his hind quarters 

 higher than his head, which, for instance, may be placed down an 

 incline. If possible, bring him under the influence of chloroform, 

 so as to produce muscular relaxation, which will be a great aid to 

 reducing the hernia. Then turn the horse on his back, prop him 

 up with, for example, trusses of straw, separate both hind legs, 

 draw the hind leg of the side on which the hernia has taken place 

 backwards and outwards, so as to aid the return of the tumour 

 by dilating the inguinal canal, and proceed to draw the intestine 

 into the abdomen by taxis, the term applied to the process by 

 which parts that have left their natural situation are replaced 

 by the hand without the aid of instruments. If the symptoms 

 of pain have not continued longer than six hours, seek, by 

 manipulating the hernia, to reduce its size and push it back into 

 the abdomen, while gently pulling it down (the animal being on 



