DURING THE SCHOLASTIC YEAR 1837 - 8 . 
61 
The local engorgements must be combatted by the application 
of the pointed cautery, deeply penetrating into them, and the 
suppurative discharge which is excited being long continued. 
Neglect of this last circumstance is occasionally attended by 
very serious consequences. Indeed, it is not rare to observe, at 
the moment when the suppuration begins to diminish and the 
convalescence of the animal appears to be assured, a sudden 
metastasis of disease, either to the lungs or the pleurae, or the sub- 
cutaneous cellular tissue. In the first case death frequently 
ensues from gangrene of the lungs ; in the second, from effusion 
in the pleural cavity ; and in the third, which is the least fatal, 
the animal may possibly be saved : yet even in this case it is 
not uncommon to see extensive gangrene developed in conse- 
quence of the puncture of subcutaneous metastatic abscesses. 
Every case observed in the hospitals during the last year has 
confirmed the opinion first broached by M. Renault, that the gan- 
grene which so often occurs after surgical operations attended by 
considerable haemorrhage, and also from wounds penetrating into 
the vascular tissues, arises from the putrefaction of small clots of 
blood in the infundibula of the wounds, and not as has been so 
often, and is at the present day asserted, from the excess or the 
absence of inflammation. Among the numerous proofs of this 
assertion may be cited the frequency of these fatal cases in hot 
and wet seasons, and also in old animals, or those debilitated 
by work or old disease, and in whom the blood, more liquid and 
less alive, has its tendency to decomposition increased. 
Such are some of the most important of the general facts to 
which M. Renault has, during the last year, directed the atten- 
tion of veterinary surgeons. 
M. Renault has also placed on record a remarkable case of 
strangulated scrotal hernia. He undertook it in utter despair of 
success. The horse that was the subject of the operation ex- 
hibited the utmost prostration of strength — the pulse was imper- 
ceptible — the mucous membrane, pallid — a cold sweat covered 
his body — the colicky pains which he had suffered during the 
whole of the night had ceased, and, in fact, he was in that state 
of calm which is the precursor of death, MM. Renault and 
Bouley, after having opened with great precaution the vaginal 
tunic, applied the taxis immediately upon the strangulated 
knuckle of intestine, without making any incision through the 
peritoneal membrane. After considerable manipulation they 
succeeded in reducing the hernia. A clam was then applied on 
the aponeurotic expansion of the cremaster, and at the expiration 
of three weeks the horse left the hospital perfectly cured. 
