240 Surgical Diseases and Surgery of the Dog 



ment however fine. Wounds of small size are thus promptly sealed. 

 Vincent punctured the bladder of a dog with twelve needles of 

 different caliber in an experimental way. There was no penetra- 

 tion of urine and no inflammatory reaction on the peritoneal side. 

 Znamensky had similar results. Rouville carried these investigations 

 a point farther and discovered that if the organ is distended by in- 

 jection, immediately after puncture, the fluid will escape at the ori- 

 fice of puncture in a jet and thus gain entrance into the peritoneal 

 cavity. On the other hand slow accumulation of urine after the 

 operation was not followed by filtration. Rouville was of the 

 opinion that in cases of unavoidable distension which necessitate 

 repeated puncture, this should be done at intervals sufficiently short 

 to prevent great accumulation. The best spot at which to make the 

 puncture is immediately in front of the pubis in the median line. 

 To reach the median line in the male, the penis cin be pulled over 

 to one side. A very fine trocar and canufti, or preferably an aspi- 

 rator should be used for the purpose. Puncture may be repeated 

 as often as is considered necessary. 



CYSTORRAPHY. 



All surgeons who have extensively practiced suturing of vis- 

 ceral organs advise the use of the ordinary milliner's needle. The 

 surgical needle is very apt to wound vessels and induce local 

 hemorrhage. Znamensky experienced this trouble in his bladder- 

 resection experiments, the blood escaping into the interior of the 

 organ and forming a clot which prevented the free outflow of the 

 urine. Maksimow, JuUiard, and Vincent had good results from the 

 experimental use of carbolized catgut, Nos. o and i, as a suturing 

 material, but occasionally the knots became loosened and it was too 

 quickly absorbed. Metallic suturing was always effective but some 

 difficulty was experienced in handling it. Vincent never had any 

 bad results from the employment of silk and considered it the best 

 material to use, an opinion in which I fully concur. It finally be- 

 comes encapsulated by an organized exudate. Maksimow tried 

 suturing throughout all the coats of the wall and the animals 

 succumbed. The mucosa tended to interpose itself between the ap- 

 proximated edges of the wound and hindered the reparative process, 

 the gut being absorbed before reunion was established, and there 

 was consequently extravasation of urine. Moreover, suturing mate- 



