HERNIA. 425 



Umbilical Heenia. 



Umbilical hernia is the protrusion through the non-obliter- 

 ated umbUical ring of either the omentum or the small intestine, 

 or both. It is also known as an exomphalus or omphalocele. It 

 receives the name of enteromphalus or epiplomphalus when formed 

 by the displacement of the intestines, or that of the omentum 

 separately, and when both of those organs are implicated it be- 

 comes an entero-epiplomphalua. Umbilical hernia is quite com- 

 mon in horses and dogs, not less so in bovines, and has been no- 

 ticed in swine and sheep. It is most common in young animals, 

 especially soon after birth, is at times congenital, and may be long 

 continued, even to adult age, or for eight, ten or twelve years. 



Umbilical hernias are either congenital or accidental. The 

 former are formed during foetal hfe and contiuue at birth, al- 

 though, according to some authors, they are, strictly, not so 

 much congenital as accidental, and are, iu fact, the result of the 

 puUing and stretching of the umbUical cord during the act of de- 

 livery. However this may be, they do usually, in fact, make their 

 appearance during the second and third months following birth, 

 when through the persistency of the opening, and the imperfec- 

 tion of the umbilical cicatrix, the intestines are enabled to pro- 

 trude through the ring, and subsequently to prevent its closing 

 by their presence. But again, while the cicatrix is weak, the ac- 

 tive exercise and forcible movements of the young animal whUe at 

 play may cause the rupture ; and stUl, again, the protrusion may 

 be caused by intestinal derangements. Indeed, all traumatic 

 causes, such as contusions, blows, and any violent efforts taking 

 place during the period of consolidation of the closing cicatricial 

 tissue, may become an originating cause of this lesion. Animals 

 of low and lymphatic constitution are much predisposed to this 

 trouble, especially such as feeble colts, born of mares badly cared 

 for and insufficiently fed during gestation. Heredity fills a large 

 place among the predisposing causes in low-conditioned mares with 

 feeble organizations, and suffering with similar trouble when young, 

 dams of this class naturally bringing forth foals of defective stam- 

 ina, liable to perpetuate the same constitutional tendencies. 



The symptoms of umbilical hernia are generally exclusively 

 local. It is characterized by a semi-globular or pyriform tumor 

 situated on the median line of the abdomen at the umbilical ring, 



