536 
STRANGULATED SCROTAL HERNIA. 
from the scrotal sac, but at the expiration of that time I had 
the satisfaction to find I had accomplished my object, as it 
suddenly quitted the ring with a jerk. On further exami¬ 
nation, I found the impacted intestine to contain a portion 
of feculent matter about the size, shape, and hardness of a 
duck^s egg. I now gently withdrew my hand, and as the 
horse lay perfectly quiet, 1 had his legs gradually lowered to 
the opposite side to that on which the hernia had existed. 
I also gave him Tr. Opii ^jss, et Tr. Aconite nixij, and 
afterwards removed the shackles, and allowed him to rise at 
his leisure, which he did after lying for about five minutes. 
His pulse was soon reduced to 54, and altered in character, 
while the surface of the body quickly dried with hand¬ 
rubbing. He was indeed altogether a different animal in a 
very short time; but as he still occasionally looked back to 
his side, I considered it advisable to apply a sinapism to the 
abdomen and to have recourse to enemas. 1 shortly after¬ 
wards left, giving instructions for the enemas to be repeated 
at intervals during the remainder of the night. 
On visiting my patient the following morning, the 
attendant reported that he became quite easy after the 
irritation of the sinapism had subsided, and that he had 
partaken of a mash and some tepid water, and had also 
evacuated the contents both of the bladder and rectum. 
The faeces were hard and coated with mucus, but a large 
quantity had been expelled. I continued treatment until 
the bowels were well emptied, and the animal had regained 
his usual appetite and good spirits. As the bowel still 
came down, 1 directed that he should be fed sparingly, and 
I also advised the owner to let me place a clam upon the 
scrotum, to prevent a return of the strangulation. To this 
he at length assented, and on the 22nd May I had the 
animal cast, and placing him on his back I again reduced 
the hernia through the medium of the rectum without any 
difficulty. A steel clam was then placed upon the scrotum 
as high up towards the ring as I could possibly get it. Very 
little tumefaction followed, nor did any untoward symptoms 
present themselves subsequently to the operation. 
The clam remained on until the 8th of June, at which time 
there was some slight oedema of the sheath and abdomen, 
which, however, disappeared after a few days, leaving only 
a skin wound to heal. The healing process was accomplished 
in due course, and the horse is now apparently quite well, 
there being no appearance whatever of a rupture ever having 
existed. 
