294 Surgical Diseases and Surgery of the Dog 



the entire uterus and one ovary together with the greater portion 

 of the small intestine formed the protrusion. In this case the 

 uterus was the seat of an enormous hydrometra formed from ac- 

 cumulated uterine secretions through occlusion of the cervical lumen 

 by compression at the ring. 



Descent of other visceral organs may also occur. In cases 

 recorded by Hobday, Friedberger, Cadeac, Cadiot and Almy, the 

 sac has been found to contain portions of the small intestine, spleen, 

 pancreas, omentum, bladder, uterine comua, cecum, and part of the 

 colon. 



Adhesion of the pedicle of the protruding viscera to the bor- 

 ders of the ring is quite common, but it is rare that strangulation 

 takes place when the uterus alone is concerned. Prudhomme wrote 

 of seeing such a case, which terminated fatally. But when a knuckle 

 of bowel slips into the sac the- risk of strangulation is greatly in- 

 creased. 



In order to acquire a clear conception of the manner in which 

 congenital hernia of the round and broad ligaments and the uterine 

 cornua takes place, it will be necessary to review the prenatal de- 

 velopment of the sexual organs. In early fetal life there exists 

 an intra-abdominal glandular structure on either side of the lumbar 

 region — ^the Wolffian body — ^the structure which gives rise to the 

 reproductive gland of either sex. Connected with the Wolffian 

 body are two tubular structures leading to the uro-genital sinus, the 

 Wolffian and Muellerian ducts respectively, the former becoming 

 the vas deferens and epididymis in the male, and the latter the ovi- 

 duct, uterus, and vagina in the female. The Wolffian body is sus- 

 pended from the abdominal roof by a duplicature of peritoneum 

 from which a fold (the plica gubernatrix) is projected to and 

 through the inguinal region. This fold subsequently becomes the 

 gubernaculum testis in the male and the ligamentum teres in the 

 female. It is invested throughout with peritoneum which forms a 

 tubular sheath about it. Beneath this sheath are certain muscular 

 fibers having their origin in the abdominal muscles, and which are 

 known as the cremaster muscle in the male but are not specially 

 named in the female for the reason that in the latter sex they are 

 normally rudimentary. 



We see that in the female there is an arrangement of struc- 

 tures almost identical with that which serves to bring about migra- 



