EXTRACTS FROM EXCHANGES. 
49 
EXTRACTS FROM EXCHANGES. 
ENGLISH REVIEW. 
Laparotomy in Horses. —This operation is comparatively 
of no common occurrence in horses, thongh with the progress 
made in surgery and the benefits obtained by the proper use of 
antisepsy, veterinarians of to-day are less afraid of the dangers 
which were more or less attached to all surgical interferences. 
(1) In the Veterinary Record Mr. W. N. Scott, M. R. C. V. S., 
relates a case of a horse which during an attack of colic, lasting 
over 48 hours, was constantly nibbling at the skin of the left 
flank during the pains. Notwithstanding careful treatment, no 
relief was secured, and, suspecting some peculiar abdominal 
occlusion, it was decided to have recourse to an operation. The 
horse was chloroformed, the skin carefully washed with anti¬ 
septics, was incised by a slightly vertical incision backwards 
and upwards, the muscles divided, and with care the abdominal 
cavity entered. On exploring the left flank “ two distinct con¬ 
volutions of bowels were firmly adherent to the parietal perito¬ 
neum and in such a way as to give the intestines a banded con¬ 
dition, thereby diminishing their calibre.” By digital manipu¬ 
lations the visceral and parietal surfaces were disconnected. 
The various layers of the wound were separately brought to¬ 
gether by sutures and a dressing of iodoform laid over it. The 
animal evidently obtained relief by the operation, pains were 
gone, slight appetite, movements of the bowels ; the temperature, 
however, which 12 hours after the operation had been 101°, 
soon rose to 103.1° F., 104.1° and death occurred some 24 hours 
after the operation. At the post-mortem “ the wounds were 
found in good process of healing, the peritoneum seemed 
healthy at the seat of operation. The jejunum for about 12 
inches was congested, and so also was the mucous membrane 
of the caecum.. The gut that was adherent was slightly 
corrugated on its surface, the peritoneum was opaque and 
siight union had taken place. The mucous membrane of 
that part of the bowels was very much congested.” 
(2) In the Journal of Comp, Pathol, and Therapeutics Mr. F. Hob¬ 
day, F. R. C. V. S., relates with details another similar case in 
a mare which was operated upon after four days of abdominal 
suffering and obstinate obstruction of the bowels. This obstruc¬ 
tion was detected by direct abdominal examination at the termi- 
