VENTRAL HERNIA. 213 
the exception that the swellings have enormously increased. 
Freely scarify the scrotum and abdomen, and give 
Aloes Barb., 5j; 
Pot. Nit., 51V, in bolus, mane et nocte. 
A few crushed oats may be allowed with the bran as diet. 
24th.—The patient continues much the same. Cautiously 
remove the rollers and rug ; cleanse the wound, the dis¬ 
charge from which is very foetid, with warm water, and remove 
the stitches from the skin of the flank. On doing this I 
found a large slough, the size of a man^s hand, coming from 
the direction of the scrotum. The wound forward was also 
in a sloughy state. Dress the wounds with creosote lini¬ 
ment and replace the rug, which keep constantly wet as 
before. Give Ol. Lini. Bxij in the morning, and a diuretic 
ball in the evening. 
25th.—Cleanse wound, and repeat the dressings. 
26th.—Give Ol. Lini. Bxij, and repeat the dressings as 
before ordered. 
27th.—Repeat the dressings, and give, 
Aloes Barb., 5j; 
Pot. Nit., 5iv, in bolus. 
28th, 29th.—The dressings were repeated. 
30th.—1 was surprised to find the horse nearly blind in 
both eyes, from a severe attack of ophthalmia. He has 
since gone quite blind. This appeared to me the more sin¬ 
gular, when I took into consideration the medicine he had 
had, and the depletive discharge which had come from the 
wound, coupled with a diet just sufficient at first to support 
life, and which, up to this time, had been but little increased. 
Doubts have arisen in my mind from this circumstance, as 
to ophthalmia being in reality an inflammatory disease. 
31st.—One of the burs of leather was found to have been 
rubbed off by the shifting of the rug; but as adhesion had 
now taken place between the skin and abdominal muscles, 
I removed most of the sutures, fearing the free ends of the 
wire might possibly injure the intestines. The horse was 
let loose and the dressings were continued. 
By February 15th, the healing process had made consider¬ 
able advance, but being now somewhat sluggish, I applied a 
blister over the injured parts, which had the desired effect; 
and by March 1st the patient was discharged. 
I may mention, that the horse from having become blind 
was sold, and has since been at work in a brick-yard in this 
