382 
R. S. HUIDEKOPER. 
ardous in the extreme. As stated above, I never performed her¬ 
niotomy for the relief of strangulated inguinal hernia, but have 
had three eases where this procedure might have been brought 
into requisition if the cases had not been too far advanced to 
accomplish any good by the operation. My post mortem obser¬ 
vations have taught me to make the incision along the anterior 
border of the spermatic cord coverings without exposing the tes¬ 
ticle. By so doing the ring is more easily reached ; moreover, in 
my opinion, it guards against the possible prolapsing of a great 
mass of intestines during struggling after the ring is enlarged. 
To obviate struggling to a great extent, which is very essential, a 
round dose of chloral hydrate ( § iss), as advocated by Dr. Corlies, 
for operations in general, is of valuable service. Even the ad¬ 
ministration of chloroform or ether may be judicious, but horses 
struggle almost as much during the inhalation of these agents as 
they do while undergoing the operation without them. However, 
I do not want to disparage the usefulness of these anaesthetics. 
Of course the manner of the operation for the relief of strangu¬ 
lated inguinal hernia is understood by all regular practitioners, 
and without having any new suggestions to make, I deem it un¬ 
necessary to describe it. A few words in connection with secur¬ 
ing such patients. From my experience in operating upon crypt- 
orchids, I will state that by drawing the upper hind leg forward 
and securing it to the neck, an extra hobble being placed above 
the hock joint of the same limb, with a long rope attached to it, 
which is thrown over a joist or limb of a tree, as the case may 
be, and drawn tight, in addition to the propping up of the horse 
on the other side with bags of hay, is a convenient method for 
the operator to employ in performing herniotomy. 
PHYSOSTIGMINUM, 
AN EXCELLENT REMEDY IN COLIC, OVERFEEDING AND DYSPEPSIA. 
By R. S. IIuidekoper, M.D., V.S. 
Professor W. Dieckerhoff, of the Boyal Veterinary School at 
Berlin, publishes in the September number of the Wochenschrift 
fur Thierheilkunde und Viehzucfit the results of his discovery of 
