528 
J. W. CORRIGAN. 
occurred. When the bowel is in its proper position, they run 
nearly parallel with the long axis of the body, but in twists a 
change in their course is distinctly appreciable. In torsion 
towards the right they run backward and inward ; in torsion 
towards the left, backwards and outwards.” 
According to Jelkmann, the rectal mesentary, whose fixed 
border can be felt below the lumbar vertebrae, appears greatly 
stretched, and in right rotation does not pass perpendicularly 
downwards, but towards the left, and pressure on it causes the 
animal pain. Careful examination of the direction of the bands 
of the colon seems to me of more importance in diagnosis, and 
no doubt can exist either as to the presence or direction of the 
torsion if they can be discovered, but the posterior bands of the 
caecum, which can be distinctly felt when the latter is distended 
with food, must not be mistaken for those of the colon. Such 
an error is avoided by remembering that the caecum runs from 
the outer angle of the right ilium in a bow directed backwards 
and ends near the left stifle. 
Treatment is commenced by giving a clyster of lukewarm 
water in order to clear the rectum as far as possible, and to 
obtain sufficient room for introducing the hand. Jelkmann in¬ 
serts the left hand, presses forward towards the left abdominal 
wall, and endeavors to thrust the left portion of the colon with 
the convolutions of the rectum forwards from this point towards 
the middle line of the abdomen. Once the bowel is brought 
into this position, Jelkmann passes the hand slowly upwards, 
when the colon falls back over it into its normal position ; he 
considers that the convolutions of the rectum, displaced towards 
the left lower abdominal wall, having been thrust upwards, 
leave room for the colon to return to its normal position. My 
own experiments tend to support this explanation. I replaced 
a left rotation of the colon in the following way :—After empty¬ 
ing the rectum, the right hand was introduced, and discovered 
the bands of the colon running from in front, backwards and 
outwards or towards the left. I now employed the bands of the 
colon lying above to bring about reposition. Whilst the hand 
