PERINEAL HERNIA. 331 



Femoral Hernia. 

 {Hernia Oruralis.) 



Femoral hernia is extremely rare in the dog. The ring is 

 formed by the upper end of the so-called femoral canal, and is 

 formed of the crural fascia, the external membrane forming the 

 hernial covering. The femoral canal of the dog is a long, three- 

 cornered cavity in the median surface of the upper part, of the leg, 

 which is surrounded front and back by the inverted muscles of the 

 upper thigh — that is to say, in the front by the sartorius muscle, 

 and back by the long adductor, the large and short adductor, and 

 on its upper surface by the ileo-psoas, while the floor of the cavity is 

 formed by a portion of the muscles of the thighs and by the crural 

 fascia. Below the borders of the sartorius the adductors run 

 together at an acute angle. This canal, as a rule, is filled with 

 masses of fat, nerves, and bloodvessels. In cases of fracture of 

 the pelvis the intestines which leave the abdominal cavity, after 

 having followed the direction of the large bloodvessels, locate them- 

 selves in this cavity and are covered by the peritoneum, the crural 

 fascia, and external membrane; but they may also under certain 

 conditions penetrate directly under the skin through an opening of 

 the crural fascia. 



In the inner fascia of the thigh we find a soft swelling which 

 has more or less pain when the condition is examined before the 

 disease has been of recent origin, and in cases of strangulation. 

 In the latter cases, however, we see also a peculiar dragging motion 

 of the thighs, with lameness and symptoms of intestinal obstruc- 

 tion, such as vomiting, etc. Herniotomy has to be performed 

 according to the rules mentioned before, but must only be done in 

 extreme cases. In making incisions into this region great care 

 must be taken to avoid the large bloodvessels which pass into and 

 through the femoral canal. 



Perineal Hernia. 



Perineal hernia occurs in both dogs and bitches. In the former 

 it is recognized by a peculiar bulging or lifting of the recto-vesi- 

 calis, and in the latter by a bulging of the vesico-uterina. In both 



