MANAGEMENT OF THE FOAL 
93 
symptoms of phy-septhaemia or inflammation of the umbilic vessels. In 
these cases the foal or other young animal has remained apparently well 
for some days after birth, and no discharge of urine from the navel has 
been noted during this period. After infection of the umbilic takes 
place, perhaps three to five days after birth, the dribbling of urine from 
the navel appears. This condition is by no means a rare one in foals, 
and in our observation has been most frequently seen when the cord has 
been ligated and cut long, causing the stump to undergo putrid decomposi¬ 
tion and the urachus to re-open.” Williams. 48 
Scrotal Hernia; Inguinal Hernia 
‘‘Inguinal hernia is virtually a defect of the male, though very rarely 
it exists in the female. 
“. . . the glands are usually in the scrotum at the time of the birth 
of the young animal. In some cases the inguinal ring in the fetus is 
abnormally large, and the intra-abdominal pressure during early fetal 
life may *cause portions of the viscera to be forced out through the ring, 
and remaining there, prevent the latter from normally closing, or narrow¬ 
ing to such a degree as to prevent the escape of viscera from the abdom¬ 
inal cavity. In all domestic animals, the inguinal ring normally re¬ 
mains pervious throughout life, and consequently inguinal hernia does 
not depend upon the normal existence of an opening, but merely upon its 
abnormal size. 
“In new-born foals, especially among the draft-breeds, scrotal hernia 
is very common at birth, but is usually of a temporary character, and 
spontaneously disappears. However, this does not always occur, and in 
some instances the internal inguinal ring is excessively large, so that 
portions of viscera protrude through it, which, by their weight, tend to 
render the abnormal dilaton of the ring permanent and to cause the 
hernia to persist throughout the life of the animal unless surgically 
handled. 
‘‘The size of the hernial ring shows every possible variation . . . 
The contents of the hernial sac may consist of either intestine or omentum. 
‘‘The symptoms of scrotal hernia in the new-born are usually very ap¬ 
parent, and consist essentially of an increased size of one or both halves 
of the scrotum. Upon manipulation, it is usually found that the herniated 
intestine or omentum can be readily returned into the abdominal cavity, 
especially if the patient is placed upon its back. After the contents have 
been returned, the enlarged ring can be discovered by digital exploration. 
‘‘The course and termination of scrotal hernia vary ... In most 
animals scrotal hernia tends to persist, and to increase rather than de¬ 
crease in size, as the patient grows older. In the foal, when the scrotal 
hernia is small, it tends to disappear spontaneously with age. In pro¬ 
bably 90%, or even more, of foals born with scrotal hernia, the defect 
becomes spontaneously remedied, so far that they may be safely castrated 
by the open operation when one year old. The contents of scrotal hernia 
very rarely, if ever, become adherent, except because of some ineffectual 
surgical handling. 
‘‘The defect is markedly hereditary, and its existence in the young 
animal serves to render it of dimished value for breeding purposes. In 
the foal it has yet another significance, from a clinical standpoint, in that, 
even though the defect may be apparently overcome in a spontaneous 
manner, it may yet lead to serious or fatal accident in later life. If such 
an animal is castrated after apparent recovery, without unusual precau¬ 
tions having been taken, protrusion of the omentum, or still worse, of the 
intestine, is liable to occur, and lead to serious or fatal results. If the 
animal is retained for breeding purposes, it may, at any time after 
reaching adult life, suddenly develop strangulated hernia, owing to some 
