i62 Surgical Diseases and Surgery of the Dog 



amination by explorative celiotomy, while the Roentgen, rays can- 

 be employed with advantage in the detection of the presence of 

 foreign bodies. 



TRAUMATIC LESIONS. 



Wounds of the intestine occasionally occur from external 

 violence. There are several instances on record where a fall from 

 a great height, the kick of a horse, or a wheel passing over the 

 abdomen, have resulted in rupture of internal organs, generally the 

 liver or bladder, and while the bowel seldom suffers this lesion, 

 I have seen rupture of mesenteric vessels occur from a run-over. 

 Probably the commonest form of traumatic injury is wounding 

 by projectiles or implements. The effect of perforating bullet 

 wounds is always uncertain. Experimental research would seem 

 to indicate that they are usually followed by serious results, though 

 there can be no doubt that this must depend largely upon the 

 caliber of the missile. Parkes intentionally wounded thirty-seven 

 dogs by firing bullets of 22, 32, 38, and 44 caliber from Smith and 

 Wesson revolvers into the abdomen at short range. Three suc- 

 cumbed immediately afterwards from the effects of profuse hem- 

 orrhage from main vessels. Twelve died inside of twenty-four hours 

 either from severe primary or recurring hemorrhage. In these 

 cases the bullet was of the size of 38 or 44 caliber. Two cases of 

 the series were subjected to the expectant treatment. Both died, 

 the first in one day, and the other in five days. Necropsies revealed 

 extensive extravasation of contents of the bowel and septic peri- 

 tonitis. Ten other cases died, living from three days to three weeks, 

 mostly from peritonitis, while only nine cases recovered. As a 

 result of these experiments Parkes reached the following conclu- 

 sions : Hemorrhage following shot-wounds of the abdomen and 

 intestines is often so severe that it cannot be safely controlled with- 

 out abdominal section; it is also sufficient in amount to endanger 

 life by secondary septic decomposition, which cannot be avoided 

 in any other way than by the same treatment, and extravasations 

 of contents of the bowel after shot injuries thereof are as certain 

 as the existence of the wound. 



In another series of experiments conducted by Chaput forty- 

 six cases were treated by expectation, of which thirty-one died 

 (68 per cent) and fifteen survived (32 per cent). Of the thirty- 



