206 
ON VENTRAL HERNIA. 
By John Tombs, Esq., V.S., late Bengal Artillery. 
On perusing The Veterinarian for December last, I ob- 
served a case of hernia, unsuccessfully operated upon by Mr. 
Rush. I deeply regret that the operation was a complete failure, 
as it was undoubtedly performed in a surgeon-like and scientific 
manner: but the impression on my mind is, that this method 
of reducing ventral or umbilical hernia is attended with imminent 
danger. Those deep sutures unquestionably cause a great de- 
gree of inflammation in the surrounding parts, and the peritoneal 
lining of the abdomen must sometimes necessarily become in- 
volved in the inflammatory action caused by them, which inva- 
riably terminates in death. If the peritoneum escapes, the mus- 
cular parts and integuments may frequently become gangrenous, 
the result of which is well known : and, lastly, extensive slough- 
ing may take place, so as to admit a protrusion of the intestines, 
which equally endangers the life of the patient. 
I am not aware of any case doing well after this kind of ope- 
ration has been performed, with the exception of the “old black 
mare,” so cautiously and skilfully operated upon by Mr. Simonds, 
which redounds greatly to his well-earned fame in the veterinary 
world, and that of Mr. Hickman. 
I have met with many cases of punctured wounds of the ab- 
domen, where the intestine has protruded. After replacing the 
portion of gut, I brought the lips of the wound in contact by 
means of superficial sutures, never introducing the needle deeper 
than the first layer of muscular fibres. Peritonitis and gan- 
grene took place in some ; but by far the greater number re- 
covered. 
After condemning one method of operating, it becomes me to 
point out a safer. A more scientific one I cannot ; but I think I 
can a less dangerous one, and that is an object of great considera- 
tion to the practitioner who has reputation at stake, and to the 
owner of the animal likewise. The operation I allude to is, I 
believe, attended with invariable success. It was practised by 
the farriers of old, and is so to the present day by many skilful 
veterinary surgeons, and very many modern sow-gelders. My 
late lamented father and uncle, and Mr. Rawlins, the well-known 
cattle practitioner of Milton, in Oxfordshire, also my brother, and 
myself have operated upon vast numbers of colts annually ; and 
I unhesitatingly assert, that nineteen out of twenty do well after 
it. I only know one case of tetanus occasioned by the operation, 
which I am about to describe. 
