146 PEINOIPLES OF VETERINARY SURGERY 



are connected witli it by adhesions ; next the tunica is twisted 

 once or twice around its axis and a small curved clamp 

 applied over it as high as possible. 



What varieties of hernias are more commonly met with in 

 our various animals f 



Ventral hernia : Cattle and horses. 



Umbilical hernia : Dogs and horses. 



Inguinal hernia : Horses and swine. 

 Describe the individual hernias. 



Ventral hernia : The causes are traumatic ones, such as 

 kicks, falls upon blunt objects (tree stumps, etc.). The 

 hernia may be located at any part of the abdominal parietes, 

 usually about the flanks or along the linea alba. Their size 

 varies, but may be very large. My experience with these 

 ruptures is, that when the mouth of the hernia exceeds eight 

 inches they are incurable. From a standpoint of differential 

 diagnosis, at least in recent hernias, one must remember 

 abscesses and hematomata. In small animals herniotomy 

 gives nice results, while in the larger ones the clamp or 

 ligature is preferable. 



Pelvic hernia (gut tie) : Seen in the ox ; mainly due to a 

 peculiar method of castration, consisting of tearing the 

 spermatic cord through or tearing it Out by sheer force. In 

 consequence of this the parietal peritoneum is lacerated and a 

 pouch results ; an intestinal loop may enter it and become 

 strangulated. There are colicky symptoms. By rectal pal- 

 pation under right or left transverse process of the sacrum 

 the constricting cord and incarcerated intestine can be felt. 

 Treatment consists of laparotomy or re^position of the in- 

 carcerated loop by hand per rectum. 



Umbilical hernia : Seen especially in young . animals. 

 Heredity seems quite an etiological factor ; the animal is 



