A TREATISE ON INGUINAL HERNIA. 
253 
The herniae commonly occurring in quadrupeds are inguinal,umbilical, 
diaphragmatic, and ventral. In the present memoir we shall confine our 
observations to the first kind, and they are to be understood to apply only 
to herbivorous monodactyles. 
M. Girard has arranged his matter under five heads or arti¬ 
cles. The First treats of the Surgical Anatomy of the Parts 
concerned in Inguinal Hernia; the Second and Third, of 
the Formation and Distinction of such Hernm; the Fourth, 
of the Treatment; the Fifth enters into Considerations on 
the Jurisprudence applicable to such affections. We have not 
room to follow our author through his anatomical details; and 
even had we, they would prove uninteresting to those already 
acquainted with the parts; and to others, bare descriptions, 
without plates or actual dissection, would be found to convey 
but very imperfect ideas on the subject. The lithographic illus¬ 
trations presented in the present work show' the parts of their 
natural dimensions, and do no less credit to the ingenious de¬ 
signer than to the artists employed in their execution ,* and to 
them we can with confidence refer such of our readers as may 
require such preparatory information. 
I.—OFTHE FORMATION AND DISTINCTION OF INGUINAL 
HERNIA. 
In man almost every one of the abdominal viscera may protrude 
through the inguinal canal, and become hernial; in monodactyles, the 
small intestines, the colon, and the omentum, are the only organs sus¬ 
ceptible of such displacement; of these, the small guts, from their loose 
attachment, their volume, their general inanity, and their energetic con¬ 
tractility, most readily enter the canal, and in consequence constitute 
the contents of almost all enteroceles. The duplicature or flexures of the 
colon are the parts next most liable to protrusion, from the circumstance 
of their peritoneal connexions giving them greater libert3'. Concerning 
the omentum, which is so short that one would conceive it impossible for 
it to get into the inguinal canal without prior laceration, its protrusion is 
always the effect of some violent intestinal commotion, and is never 
productive of much mischief. The question might opportunely be dis¬ 
cussed here, whether, of itself, it is possible for the omentum to be¬ 
come hernial; or, Avhether it is not dragged through the ring by intes¬ 
tines already in that state. The epiploceles resulting from castration 
would incline us to believe the former practicable. 
The most common causes of inguinal hernia are, the commotions ex¬ 
cited internally by colic: it may prove the consequence of some sudden 
effort under the weight of a heavy burden, of rearing on the haunches, 
kicking, leaping, &c. Whatever tends to the relaxation of the abdo¬ 
minal parietes, or the fibrous tissue of the ring, will conduce to the same 
effect. 
Stallions are the ordinary subjects of this hernia, and especially those 
in the habit of covering. Hungarian horses rarely have it; and we have 
never seen it in a mare. It may exist w ith or without visible tumour, and 
be acute or chronic, simple or strangulated, continued or intermittent. 
In some cases there is thickening of the membranes, adhesion of the 
hernial coats between themselves, and sometimes to the intestine. In otiicr 
