334 
J. M. PHILLIPS. 
\ 
water and soap or by an injection of glycerine; the water is 
preferable from its not exciting contractions of the bowels; 
this will allow the hand to enter farther in and their relaxed 
walls will be more easily manipulated. After the rectum is 
nicely emptied, the hand and arm should be oiled and gently 
inserted into it. If it has been thoroughly emptied the arm 
can be inserted almost full length if necessary. Every move¬ 
ment should be made slowly so as not to wound it or excite 
contractions of it. In the latter case it will be a hindrance to 
you in examining those organs that are situated well forward 
in the abdominal cavity. With the slow gentle movement you 
give the bowel time to adapt itself to the position required. 
If you wish to feel the sides of the pelvis, as in a fracture of it, 
push gently in that direction until the hand comes against it. 
If you wish to feel the aorta in case of an aneurism, lift the 
bowel gently up until the hand comes against that pulsating 
vessel. With the hand once in the rectum many organs can 
be outlined, especially when they are in a pathological condi¬ 
tion or position. The outline of the pelvis, the prostate 
glands, the urethra, the bladder, the ureters, the kidneys, the 
aorta and its terminal branches, the vena cava, the double 
colon and the base of the coecum, the portions of the small 
intestines, the internal inguinal rings and the vas deferens in 
a stallion, and the spleen probably when it is very much en¬ 
larged. Not attempting to enumerate all, I probably have 
omitted some; suffice it to say there are a great many organs 
that can be reached per rectum. 
As to when we should examine, is a very important ques¬ 
tion and one which I will not attempt to answer in a precise 
manner but only in a general way. Of course I would not 
advise the practice of it in every case when a horse kicks at or 
looks around at his belly, but in all protracted cases of abdomi¬ 
nal pain. If your treatment does not have the desired effect 
upon your patient, you would naturally make a closer exam¬ 
ination. If in this second examination you do not find the 
cause of the obstinacy, then make the rectal examination , feel 
for the organs that the symptoms might indicate to be affected, 
and to your surprise sometimes the diagnosis is made very 
