UMBILICAL HERNIA. 
141 
the uterus made its appearance. This occurred about 2 A.M., 
and a messenger was immediately sent for me. 
On my arrival, I found complete inversion present, and, 
although so little time had elapsed, that considerable thickening 
and hemorrhage had taken place, caused by the animal’s rubbing 
her quarters against the sides of the building and on the ground, 
the place being very dirty, with little or no straw. I do not 
intend troubling your readers with the minute treatment of this 
case. Let it suffice to say, that with the bulb and rod of my 
instrument I accomplished with ease that which on previous occa¬ 
sions had caused me considerable trouble, accompanied with no 
small amount of bodily exertion, contrary to what has taken 
place in most other cases treated by me. The efforts made by 
the animal at re-expulsion were very slight. This I attributed 
to the small space the rod occupied compared with the naked 
arm, in which I consider resides its advantageous service, the 
arm causing the continuance of violent efforts. The instrument 
likewise possesses the advantage of being capable of being 
introduced to the extreme end of the cornua, a part which the 
arm is unable to reach, and which I consider of the greatest 
importance. 
A little tact is necessary in withdrawing the instrument. 
This must not be done too hastily. The better way is to with¬ 
draw it slightly and then pass it on again, and repeat this 
movement two or three times until its entire abstraction. To 
those engaged in cattle practice this instrument will be found 
of the greatest use ; and I think we are considerably indebted 
to Mr. Cooper for directing the attention of the profession to it. 
*** Mr. Cooper’s account of this, his own, improvement in 
veterinary surgery will be found in vol xxiii, p. 293, of The 
Veterinarian.—Ed. Vet. 
Umbilical Hernia. 
Cases of the above are very common in breeding districts. 
Many being slight, require no treatment at all; others, how¬ 
ever, if not attended to, remain unsightly for life, occasionally 
producing spasm, strangulation, and death. The old mode of 
treatment (and I believe many practise it now) was to place the 
animal on its back, return the bowel, insert four skewers 
through the loose skin, and apply a ligature. This had the 
double effect of removing the superfluous skin, and producing 
adhesive inflammation of the sides of the sac; and, in a general 
VOL. XXV. U 
