92 THE CANADIAN HOESB 



The treatment of scrotal or inguinal hernia in stallions 

 requires a considerable amount of anatomical knowledge of 

 the part, and should not be undertaken by an amateur. A 

 gentle effort should be made to press it up from without; no 

 force, however, should be used. The operation known as 

 taxis must be resorted to if this fail, — it consists in securing 

 him on his back, removing the faeces from the rectum, and 

 passing the hand, previously well oiled, into the rectum. 

 With the other hand passed up the sheath, by gentle pres- 

 sure from without, and slight palling from within, i^Tsan 

 sometimes be replaced — if not, the inguinal canal must be 

 enlarged by passing in a bistoury, and returning the gut by 

 taxis, if it does not return itself. However, before this is 

 resorted to, antispasmodics and copious blood-letting are 

 'advisable, so as to relax the muscular contractions of the 

 parts involved. 



In young animals affected with hernia, castration in the 

 usual way is dangerous — it must be done by the covered 

 operation. See castration, page 203. 



In all cases of hernia, care must be taken not to load the 

 bowels with bulky food — thin gruel, and easily-digested food 

 must be given for some time. 



THE LIVER. 



The liver is a well-known organ, — its function of secret- 

 ing bile is also well known. It is the largest gland in the 

 body, and differs from that of man and the ox in having 

 no gall-bladder for the reception of the bile ; which, in the 

 horse is conveyed directly to the first bowel, (duodenum,) in 

 conjunction with the duct of the sweetbread, (pancreas.) 



The bile which is secreted, or,, as some express it, elimin- 

 ated by the liver, may be considered as an excrement, the 

 retention of which in the blood would be injurious to the 



