(6o) HlSrORT of the SOCIETr, 



w'lTamnton tlirough the ring, fo as to force it back, which is eflentially ne- 

 ceiTary to ready redudlion, and v^rhich we can always do in 

 men, from the loofenefs of the fkin at the top of the fcrotum. 



" Upon examining the flate of the parietes of the belly in 

 women, and comparing them with thofe of men, I fee no reafon 

 for their being more fubjecft to femoral hernia than bubonocele, 

 though in general I think them lefs liable to tlie difeafe altoge- 

 ther than men. The figure of the pelvis makes Pa up art's 

 ligament a little longer in them, but the fpace under it is in pro- 

 portion as well filled up by mufcles, veffels, and fat, is'c. fo that 

 no more room is allowed for the vifcera to be forced out in the 

 one than in the other. The rings of the mufcle in women, 

 though lefs apt to yield, as being more contradled than in men, 

 are in proportion the weaker part, and therefore the palTage 

 through which a vifcus will be more readily pufhed. In opera- 

 ting upon this fpecies of bubonocele, I varied a little from the 

 common method. As the tumor extended along the bending 

 of the thigh, my incifion being made in this diredion, was pa- 

 rallel in fome meafure to the ring. This made the introduction 

 of the biftory, to cut the tendon, a little more difficult, but it 

 gave me advantages to counterbalance this inconvenience. I 

 had after the redudion a piece of integuments above the inci- 

 fion, which when prefTed down covered the ring. This foon 

 formed adhefion with the parts below, and effecftually excluded 

 the expofure of the cavity of the abdomen, which adds much 

 to the danger of the operation. In the common operation, 

 where the ring is laid in view, and is at the bottom of the 

 wound, the integuments over it having been divided, I fufpedt 

 the inflammation on the edges and bottom of the wound, which 

 is kept open, extends through the ring to the peritonjEum, alto- 

 gether independent of the expofure, and produces very fatal ef- 

 fedls. Now, in my method, this vva.s prevented ; the integu- 

 ments being found immediately over the ring. In drefilng the 



wound 



