STUANGliLAT^ED SCROTAL HERNIA. 
535 
quite easy, and evinced a disposition to feed. His pulse was 
about 44 and soft, faeces somewhat scanty, and hard. I 
gave a febrifuge and an enema of warm water, and directed 
that he should be fed upon a mash diet. Just as I was 
about to leave, my attention was drawn to his scrotum, and 
on examining it I found hernia to be present. This affec¬ 
tion I w’as informed had existed ever since he was two years 
old, and had shown itself after castration, and had always re¬ 
mained much as I then saw it, but excepting that the scrotum 
was sometimes larger after a hard day’s work. I did nothing 
farther than to direct that he should be watched during the 
night, and a messenger despatched for me should the pain again 
set in, adding that, if they did not send, I would see him in 
the course of the following day. I attended the next 
morning and found the bowels responding to the medicine, 
and every indication that the horse was doing well, with the 
exception of his having a slight cough and soreness of the 
throat, which, however, a few days’ treatment put right. 
The horse being convalescent I discontinued my attendance. 
On the 11th May, at 7‘30 p.m., I was again summoned to 
llie animal, the messenger stating that he was took had” 
at lO a.m. while at plough, and was obliged to be led home, 
when the usual remedies were had recourse to, but he evidently 
was getting worse instead of better. I naturally feared a 
case of strangulated hernia, and accordingly provided myself 
with casting apparatus. &c. On my arrival I certainly was 
not induced to alter my view of the ease, for I found him 
Aown, with his legs stretchedouty breathing stertorious; surface 
of the body cold and bedewed with a profuse perspiration, 
mouth clammy, the eyes fixed and glassy, pulse 90, small 
and wiry; and, in fact, every indication of a speed}^ disso¬ 
lution, unless im.mediate relief could be afforded. The 
scrotum was hard and tense, and imparted a sensation of 
an impacted bowel to the touch. I ordered my assistant to 
secure his legs at once, and while he was so employed I ex¬ 
hibited a cathartic combined with a powerful opiate. As 
soon as his legs were properly fixed, we proceeded to place 
him upon his back, wliich being done I introduced my right 
hand into the rectum, and found the internal abdominal ring 
very much dilated, and I could also distinctly feel that a large 
volume of intestine had passed through it. I grasped the 
gut with my right hand, and exerted pressure with my left 
upon the scrotum. Immediately I commenced drawing at the 
bowel the animal struggled violently, and groaned with pain, 
which necessarily interfered with my manipulations. I was 
occupied at least fifteen minutes in extricating the intestine 
