DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY. 
929 
mysterious perforations of the ilium occurring in his practice. 
Exactly how many deaths from colic might be traced to this 
condition will of course only be known after further investiga¬ 
tion. 
These cases lead us to advise veterinarians to take'the firm 
stand that all itmbilical hernias in colts and calves demand 
prompt sitrgical attention and should not be permitted to reduce 
spontaneously. 
Operative Treatment. —In reviewing the many different op¬ 
erations advised by European and American practitioners we 
have adopted a method used with universal success by our old 
friend and colleague, Dr. W. F. Derr, of Wooster, Ohio, who to 
our personal knowledge has had more than an average experi¬ 
ence in this connection, in one of the richest breeding and farm¬ 
ing districts in America. Derr’s method of operating is as fol¬ 
lows : 
Equipment. —Curved scissors, a strong piece of cord, two 
steel skewers 3 to 5 inches long, and antiseptics to sterilize the 
area. 
Modus Operandi. —In the standing position four marks are 
made in the hair, equal distance from each other, around the 
base of the tumor. This is done with the scissors in order to 
mark the exact points to insert the skewers. The marks may 
be made with chalk or any other handy method. It is abso¬ 
lutely necessary to do this in the standing position because the 
skin covering the tumor will change its position when the colt 
is cast for the other steps of the operation. To cast an animal, 
and then pinch up the skin that covers the tumefaction while 
in the recumbent is a grave error in these operations, because 
when the animal rises it will be found that the strangulated 
area has moved to one side of the umbilicus. On the other 
hand, if marks are made in the standing position and the oper¬ 
ation is performed over them while the animal is cast, the part 
will find its place directly over the orifice when the standing 
position is again assumed. 
When the seat of operation is thus marked the patient is se¬ 
cured in the dorsal recumbent position. The tumor and en¬ 
virons are well washed with a potent antiseptic and the skewers 
are inserted subcutaneously from mark to mark so as to cross 
each other in the centre. The hernia having been safely re¬ 
turned to the cavity the cord is now passed around and beneath 
the protruding ends of the skewers and tied tightly enough to 
produce strangulation. Whenever the hernial orifice is large, 
