122 OVARIOTOMY IN THE BITCH- 



of its fibres by means of the scalpel handle or the fingers 

 and repeat the process upon the internal oblique after which 

 puncture the peritoneum with the scalpel. Force one 

 hand through the opening into the peritoneal cavity and 

 search for the ovaries at the same point and by the same 

 method as in the preceding operation, that is, locate the 

 uterus within the pelvic cavity, between the rectum and 

 bladder and trace it and then the cornu, and broad ligament 

 to the ovary. The uppermost ovary can be drawn out 

 through the wound and cut off with the scissors or ecraseur ; 

 the lower one must be held with one hand and the instru- 

 ment introduced along the arm and when the ovary is 

 reached, apply the scissors or ecraseur and cut or crush it 

 off. The beginner must always remember that the posi- 

 tive means for identifying the ovaries is by tracing the 

 uterus from the vagina along its cornua to the Fallopian 

 tube and thence to the organ in the broad ligament. 

 Cleanse the wound and close the skin incision with con- 

 tinuous sutures. 



30. OVARIOTOMY IN THE BITCH' BY THE FLANK. 



Plate xix. 



Instruments. Spaying knife, suture material. 



Technic. Confine the animal in lateral recumbency, 

 preferably upon the right side for a right handed operator, 

 the head somewhat depressed, the limbs extended and the 

 body well stretched. Clip, shave and disinfect a sufficient 

 area in the exposed flank at a point just anterior to and be- 

 neath the external angle of the ilium. With one hand grasp 

 the skin fold of the flank and render the skin of the region 

 tense, while with the other holding the spaying knife like a 

 pen make at first a drawing incision from below upward about 

 2 to 3 cm. long, ending above at a point slightly below the 

 external angle of the ilium, the incision extending through 



