324 HERNIA. 



grene, followed by the formation of an abscess, and finally the 

 escape of pus externally. Death is rare in such conditions, and 

 if it should occur it is caused by septicaemia. 



The prognosis of irreducible hernia depends greatly on the 

 length of time that the strangulation has been present, and also 

 on the character of the contents of the hernia. In cases where a 

 loop of intestine is strangulated and is gorged with fecal matter 

 ihe results are generally serious; but, on the other hand, strangula- 

 tion of the omentum is not serious. 



Therapeutics of Hernia. In cases of reducible hernia we 

 cannot use a truss, which is the favorite mode of treatment in man, 

 it being impossible to keep a hernial bandage steady in any posi- 

 tion for any length of time on the dog. When hernia has been 

 caused in a traumatic way, and followed by a subcutaneous rupture 

 of the abdominal wall, or in umbilical hernia of very young ani- 

 mals, we may close the orifice in such cases by means of a dress- 

 ing, and the hernia may be entirely removed by the following 

 method: 



Place the animal on its back or in such a position that the hernia 

 is placed as high as possible. Then reduce the sac by working the 

 contents back into the abdomen. In some cases this is accom- 

 plished very easily, but in others it requires a certain amount of 

 careful and patient manipulation. Then place a tampon of wad- 

 ding or a small piece of cardboard upon the hernial orifice. This 

 will have to extend over the borders of the hernia far enough to 

 entirely cover the opening. Now fix small pieces of adhesive 

 plaster across the cardboard and attach them in a circle around 

 the piece of cardboard. These will adhere easily if the skin 

 has been cleansed and any fat or other material has been removed 

 by means of ether or benzine. The translator finds that the 

 plaster adheres a great deal better than the ordinary adhesive plas- 

 ters sold, if, after the hair has been shaved off, ordinary shoe- 

 makers' wax made liquid is put on ihe end of the piaster strips. 

 We now place a gauze bandage around the adhesive-plaster dress- 

 ing and the whole posterior part of the body, in order to protect 

 the dressing from being torn or shifted by the animal. The dog 

 should be fed on light, easily digested food, avoiding any that has 

 a tendency to flatulency or constipation, at the same time assisting 

 defecation by means of laxatives. The safest and most certain 



