DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY. 
53 
where the trocar was inserted they should be treated surgically 
as early as possible, in order to prevent the formation of fistulse 
( Vol. XXIV\ No. 4, Dept, of Surg.'). 
It frequently occurs that tympanites cannot be relieved by 
tapping the caecum ; in such events the sigmoid flexure of the 
great colon should be tapped per rectum ; this flexure can some¬ 
times be reached from the left flank, and we often hear of veter¬ 
inarians relieving tympanitic conditions by puncturing the left 
side. 
3. Gastrocentesis (tapping the stomach).—This is an op¬ 
eration seldom practiced in the horse, but often beneficial in 
ruminants. The indications for puncturing the stomach of the 
horse are few. Its capacity being from 3 to 5 gallons, and the 
removal of such a small quantity of gas without removing the 
cause that generates it, is of no practical advantage. In rumi¬ 
nants however, the operation is often very beneficial. We cannot 
recommend the operation ; we know of no one that has ever 
tried it upon a living subject. On the cadaver we have suc¬ 
ceeded in searching the stomach by inserting the trocar into the 
last and second to the last costal space, near the costal cartilages 
without injuring the lungs. The experiment was made by dis¬ 
secting the cervical portion of the oesophagus and attaching it 
to a bellows which was used to inflate the stomach, but we can¬ 
not advise any one to practice this upon a living horse. In ru¬ 
minants this is a common operation. A large sized trocar should 
be used, and inserted into the most distended position of the 
abdominal wall. 
4. Vesicocentesis (puncturing the bladder).—This is an 
operation that can not be repeated very often, but one that is 
frequently indicated in veterinary practice, especially in large 
animals suffering from urethral obstructions. Animals having 
urethral obstructions should never be cast without first examin¬ 
ing the bladder, and if found distended, it must always be 
emptied before attempting to cast the patient; this is necessary 
in order to lessen the danger of rupturing the bladder by the 
fall or struggling of the patient in its attempt to free itself while 
being secured. In large animals, the most convenient method 
of reaching the bladder is through the rectum ; in small ones 
it can be reached through the perineum or floor of the abdom¬ 
inal cavity. 
5. Oscheocentesis (tapping the scrotum).—The fluid that 
accumulates in the scrotum as a result of dropsy of the tunica 
vaginalis is often removed in this way ; the procedure is not a 
