ON SCROTAL IIERNIA. 
47 9 
by removing the bundles of straw from that side: when in this 
position about ten minutes, the hobbles should be gently un¬ 
buckled, the animal allowed to remain as quiet as possible, and 
permitted to rise at his own will. Let him now, for five or six 
days, be kept on bran diet, and in a state of perfect rest; he may 
then, morning and evening, have gentle walking exercise, which 
is to be gradually increased in length, &c., and at the same time 
his diet must be gradually changed from bran to oats, or, more 
properly speaking, “gram” which in India is the substitute for 
oats. Should, at any time, the pulse become hard, and symp¬ 
tomatic fever supervene, a little blood must be extracted, and half 
a drachm of Barbadoes aloes given every fourth or sixth hour, till 
the fcecal matter becomes softened. 
The foregoing is generally all that is necessary to be done; but 
as strangulation sometimes takes place, an operation will be in¬ 
dispensable. 
Having cast and placed the horse as before directed, an inci¬ 
sion should be made through the scrotum, as if for castration; the 
fore finger of the left hand should then be passed forwards between 
the tunica vaginalis and testicle along the chord towards the ab¬ 
dominal ring; then pressing the finger outwards, make an open¬ 
ing into the inguinal canal, by cutting down on the tip of it. 
Mr. Hodgson was the first who introduced this operation, and, I 
can with truth aver, greatly to the advantage of the East India 
Company. By means of these two openings, you can with ease 
examine the state of the ring, and in the majority of cases, by 
gently pressing the protrusion into the abdomen, reduce the her¬ 
nia : sometimes, however, in order to do this, it will be necessary 
to enlarge the ring; this ought to be done in an upward direction, 
and with a concealed bistoury, for by means of the screw the en¬ 
largement can be made any size the operator wishes : the smallest 
slit I always found sufficient, but practitioners must use their own 
discretion in this as well as in many other particulars. 
The hernia being reduced, the animal should be allowed to rise, 
as before directed; and if the constitution does not become affected, 
no other treatment than what I have already stated about diet 
and exercise will be necessary. Local inflammation and swelling 
of the parts will be a necessaiy consequence, ordinary measures 
for the suppression of which must be adopted. In case of ab¬ 
scesses forming, the first incision made in the scrotum will, from 
its dependency, be found of essential service. 
Mr. Coleman, in his lectures, recommends in this kind of her¬ 
nia an opening to be made through the abdominal muscles, and the 
hand, with its palm presented to the intestines, to be introduced 
into the abdomrnal cavity ; their the intestine to be taken between 
