PROGNOSIS OF INGUINAL HERNIA. 
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by it. As the disease is difficult to treat and endangers the animal’s 
life, inguinal hernia must always be regarded as a grave condition. 
When the bowel is strangulated the only hope of recovery lies in skilled 
interference. 
Prognosis. Inguinal hernia is always dangerous, because treatment is 
difficult, and death often follows strangulation. The most important 
elements in forming a prognosis are the age of the animal, and the size 
and character of the hernia. 
Spontaneous recovery is rare in adults though common in young 
animals. The condition produces difficulty in castrating foals, and 
renders this generally simple operation dangerous, whilst fresh cases of 
inguinal hernise in old animals are doubly grave, on account of the risk 
of incarceration. Extensive ruptures, and especially those with large 
apertures, not only injure the appearance of the animal and interfere 
with its use, but at the same time offer the greatest difficulty to 
treatment. 
Omental are usually less grave than intestinal hernisB, and on this 
ground geldings are more hopeful subjects, though even in them the 
intestine sometimes descends and becomes strangulated. In a gelding 
Moller replaced an incarcerated inguinal hernia four times during a 
period of six weeks. Irreducible hernias are doubly dangeious, because 
of the difficulty in operating. Finally, it should be remarked that 
incarceration does not necessarily depend on the size of the hernia. 
Small and incomplete inguinal hernise are more frequently strangulated 
than extensive herniae with wide abdominal ring. 
Treatment. Operation is rendered difficult by the length of the 
inguinal canal and the position of the hernia. Hering very shrewdly 
advises leaving well alone, and not operating unless obliged. This, 
however, becomes necessary when a stallion has to be castiated, and 
incarceration not infrequently necessitates'operation. As, in the latter 
case, procedure differs from that in non-strangulated ruptures, the 
treatment of the simpler condition will first be dealt with. 
(A) TREATMENT OF NON-STRANGULATED INGUINAL HERNIA. 
Various methods have been proposed; amongst the most important 
are— 
(1) Closure of the inner abdominal ring by inducing inflammation of 
the spermatic cord and adhesions with neighbouring structuies. If, 
after successful reposition of the hernia, the spermatic cord be caused to 
swell, it may completely fill the abdominal ring, or so far occlude it as 
to prevent the passage of intestine or omentum. 
{a) In Spain, according to Stockfleth’s description, the scrotum and 
