20 
UMBILICAL HERNIA. 
The operation although simple in itself, is, or may be, 
attended with unpleasant effects ; particularly in animals of 
riper years ; for instance, there may be adhesion of the 
intestines (in young subjects this is not likely to exist) 
to the sac. Inflammation and fever may supervene, and 
prove troublesome attendants ; and lastly, though not least, 
that formidable disease, tetanus, may set in, and at a time 
too when we are not looking for it, and thus blast our most 
sanguine hopes of success. For my own part I have been 
exceedingly successful hitherto, having lost only one patient 
out of many I have operated upon, from the age of six 
months to that of three years. 
My experience goes to prove that the best period for the 
operation to be performed, is at the time of weaning, as then 
there is least constitutional disturbance attending it, and there- 
fore less danger than at any other time ; moreover colts then 
need little or no preparative measures. The two years old were 
in general prepared for the operation, and were soon conva- 
lescent, i. e. within from twelve to fourteen days, when they 
again took their accustomed exercise. The three years old 
mare did not progress so favorably ; being of a nervous tempe- 
rament. Both inflammation and fever set in, and with a ra- 
pidity that nearly bid defiance to our remedial measures; 
but with care and attention she subsequently got better, and 
in a short time appeared as if there had been no hernia at 
all, the place being only detected by a close examination. — 
After some time the owner called upon me, and expressed 
his pleasure, and that in a manner I need not describe, at 
the success of the operation, and moreover made me a most 
handsome present over and above my accustomed charge. 
So far, so good. Being thus led imperceptibly on, under 
circumstances which induced me to think that there was (as 
some have stated) little or no danger to be apprehended, 
from the means adopted, I was, as may be expected nearly 
unsuspicious of any supervening ; but the following case 
will show how T soon our brightest hopes may be blasted. 
In the beginning of October, 1854, I was requested to 
operate upon a stout and apparently healthy nine months old 
foal, for a large umbilical hernia. After keeping her upon a 
rather low diet for a few days, on the 12th, I performed the 
operation, only inserting three skewers, instead of five or six 
as advised, finding in them all I wanted : the operation took 
but little time and gave the patient as little concern. 
I visited her on the 19th, and found a slight engorgement, 
&c. around the ligature, wdth small drops of serum issuing 
from the integument, which felt cold and tense ; there w^as 
