I2 8 DISEASES OF THE DOMESTIC ANIMALS 



and recurrence of the hernia are not improbable. In the radical 

 operation, which is a necessity in strangulated, inguinal hernia, the 

 preliminary steps include shaving and making aseptic the parts, 

 casting the animal in the dorsal position and the use of anesthesia, 

 with chloroform or ether, or locally by the injection of i per cent, 

 cocaine solution. A long skin incision is made over the protrusion 

 in the direction of the inguinal canal down to the peritoneal sac 

 cevering the hernia. The sac must then be isolated by blunt dissec- 

 tion. If the contents of the sac are reducible, reduction may be 

 done without opening the sac. The sac and the spermatic cord are 

 then ligated with stout, chromic catgut, or sterile silk, close to the 

 internal ring and cut away. If the hernia is not reducible, the sac 

 is incised, adhesions are broken, and omentum ligated in sections 

 and cut away. 



In strangulated hernia it is now necessary to nick the edge of 

 the internal ring with a blunt, curved bistoury, or a wide, blunt- 

 pointed director, in order to replace the bowel. The director is 

 introduced within the belly through the ring and the margin of the 

 internal ring is incised by the herniotome in a direction forwards 

 and outwards, to avoid the posterior abdominal artery. Several 

 small nicks are better than one larger incision. 



If the bowel is gangrenous from pressure, then resection and 

 anastomosis of the gut offer the only hope. Otherwise the bowel is 

 thoroughly irrigated with sterile, normal salt solution (sodium 

 chloride, 3i to Oi) and is returned into the belly. Ligature of the 

 sac and cord close to the internal ring is then done. The sac is cut 

 away below the ligature. 



In any case, the testicle and cord should be removed in the 

 radical operation in entire animals, whether the sac is opened or 

 not. The covered operation for castration and a clam may be used, 

 but ligature as described and proper closure o'f the inguinal canal 

 are more certain in effecting a permanent cure. It is well to suture 

 the margins of the internal ring with chromic gut, to close the 



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