The Abdomen 231 



retained its urine until the wall of the bladder became paralysed, 

 and secretion continuing, rupture followed. The owner won the 

 suit. 



Wounds. This class of wounds consists of stabs by pointed 

 weapons generally in the hands of vicious persons, gun-shot wounds, 

 and puncture by sharp extremities of bone in cases of fracture of 

 the pelvis. The researches of Vincent have shown that puncture 

 by instruments of small diameter, such as needles, are perfectly 

 harmless and heal spontaneously. 



Surgical Wounds. Accidental incision during intraperitoneal 

 operations has occasionally taken place. Rodloff and Hobday both 

 relate that they have met with this accident, the former during an 

 operation for hernia and the latter while performing oophorectomy. 

 Siedamgrotzky, while operating for perineal hernia, which proved 

 to be of the bladder, incised the latter through the animal moving 

 suddenly. In each of these instances the lesion was sutured and 

 terminated in recovery. 



Symptoms and Diagnosis. Systemic collapse with suppression 

 of micturition following a history of application of a compressing 

 force or of extreme distension of the bladder from obstructive causes 

 should lead to a suspicion of rupture. In thin animals abdominal 

 palpation will generally reveal the pyriform outlines of the distended 

 bladder, and if these can be made out rupture can of course be 

 excluded from consideration. Should such lesion have occurred, 

 the introduction of a catheter is followed by escape of both urine 

 and blood. A definite quantity of aseptic liquid should then be 

 injected with moderate force. While this is being done, palpation 

 will reveal gradual distension of the organ, which is almost imme- 

 diately succeeded by collapse and the return of a diminished quantity 

 of the liquid. The aspirator may be employed to determine the 

 presence and character of any intraperitoneal fluid, but the latter 

 does not, as a rule, remain long in the cavity, being quickly absorbed. 

 In some of Znamensky's experimental resections, where the stitches 

 in the bladder wall gave way, and the animals undoubtedly died of 

 uremic poisoning, there was not a sign of urine in the cavity, it 

 having been entirely absorbed. 



Treatment. Rupture of the bladder calls for prompt operative 

 interference. Vincent made very complete experimental research in 

 bladder lesions in a number of dogs. He performed celiotomy. 



