DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY. 
51 
may prevent asphyxia ; the removal of fluids from a cavity or 
sinus may relieve the pain by removing the pressure upon the 
distended wall temporarily. This is often beneficial in prepar¬ 
ing patients for an operation but is never considered as a radi¬ 
cal cure for the existing condition. 
Paracentesis is an operation frequently used in both human 
and veterinary surgery, but there are more indications for it in 
the latter than the former. The operations of this class that 
belong to abdominal surgery may be considered as follows : 
1. Celiocentesis (tapping the abdomen). 
2. Knterocentesis (tapping the intestine). 
3. Gastrocentesis (tapping the stomach). 
4. Vesicocentesis (tapping the bladder). 
5. Oscheocentesis (tapping the scrotum). 
6. Nephrocentesis (tapping the kidney). 
Besides the above mentioned surgical punctures we may 
mention a few more operations of this nature that do not be¬ 
long to abdominal surgery, but which are frequently indicated 
and practiced to good advantage in veterinary surgery : 
(ci) Thoracocentesis (puncturing thorax). 
(b) Keratocentesis (puncturing eye). 
(c) Thecocentesis (puncturing sheaths). 
1. Celiocentesis .—Tapping the abdomen for the purpose of 
removing the contents of the peritoneal cavity is a procedure 
that can be adopted in case of ascites, for the purpose of verify¬ 
ing the diagnosis, or for temporary relief. In non-ruminating 
animals, the trocar should be inserted on the left side of the 
linea alba, but in ruminants on the right side ; in carnivora, a 
point is selected somewhere between the umbilicus and the an¬ 
terior border of the pubis, on either side of the linea alba. 
Targe animals are tapped while standing, but small ones can be 
placed upon a table. The point selected must be well disinfected. 
The trocar is plunged into the paries at centre of the site 
selected and disinfected, and the perforator removed from the 
canula, which allows the contents to flow through it. This 
will enable the operator to verify his diagnosis. 
2. Enterocentesis. —Tapping the intestine is the most im¬ 
portant operation of this class. Its indications are more numer¬ 
ous in veterinary practice than in human, and the benefits 
greater than those following the puncture of other cavities. 
Animals suffering from tympanites are relieved of pain caused 
by the distended paries of the viscus; respirations are eased by 
removing the pressure against the posterior part of the diaphragm, 
