286 
DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY. 
principal suture is not relieved by a secondary one. 
4. The surgical knot is used in ligating blood vessels, and 
to prevent stitches from slackening before the second loop is 
applied. 
5. The combined surgeon and sailor's knot should be used 
in ligating blood vessels, and when stitches are likely to slacken 
before the knot is completed. 
6. When the stitches are to be absorbed, the knot should be 
made as small as possible in order to obviate the formation of 
sinuses when the stitches accidentally become incorporated in 
the cicatrix 
7. The tension of the stitches should be uniform throughout 
the whole extent of the suture, and just sufficient to bring the 
edges of the wound together firmly without injuring the tissues 
through which they pass. 
8. External sutures are to be removed from the wound, but 
the time for this depends much upon circumstances, such as 
the character of the wound ; the condition of the stitches ; the 
nature of the tissue involved and the age and species of the 
animal Sutures left in place too long may cut the tissue and 
cause multiple foci for infection and if taken out too soon the 
edges of the wound may be torn apart by restoring the natural 
strain of the tissues involved. If the aseptic precautions weie 
correct and the wound unites by primary intention, the stitches 
may be removed with safety about the seventh or eighth day. 
ABDOMINAL, SURGERY. 
In reviewing the field of abdominal surgery in domestic 
animals we must consider the method of performing and the 
results gained by laparotomy, herniotomy, ovariectomy, castra¬ 
tion of cryptorcliids and the radical treatment of hernise ; to¬ 
gether with all the operations performed upon the organs con¬ 
tained in the abdominal cavity in which the peritoneum is in¬ 
cised. The most common of these are those in which organs 
are incised, excised, or sutured, and the name of these opera¬ 
tions is known by a Greek suffix added to a Greek word re¬ 
ferring to the organ or anatomical structure involved; e.g., 
“ tomy" added to a Greek word relating to an organ or an 
anatomical structure, refers to an incision or dissection; u ectomy ,” 
to an excision or exsection ; u rhaphy ,” to suturing or stitching ; 
and “ stomyP to the formation of an artificial opening. 
Of recent years the greatest advancement made in human 
surgery has been in abdominal operations, and in veterinary 
