ENTEROTOMY. 
51 
ENTEROTOMY, 
By John Myers, Jr., D. V. S., of Cincinnati, Ohio. 
-OOO- 
The relative frequent occurrence of flatulency of the bowels as an 
independent affection, or as a sequence, its rapid progress and curabil¬ 
ity under appropriate surgical treatment, is a matter of extreme im¬ 
portance. It is not my zeal to impart the contents of this inadequate 
manuscript, as any recent discovery in veterinary literature ; on the 
contrary the performance of enterotomy dates as far back as the 
fourth and fifth century by Vegetius, though never professionally 
practiced or reported until the latter quarter of the eighteenth century 
by Bourgelat and Chabert, later by Barrier and Harouard, and still 
later by Hayne, Brogniez, Herring, Del wart, Lafosse, Charlier and 
numerous other practitioners whose citations strongly convince the 
reader of its efficacy and innocence. Others again, denounce the oper¬ 
ation, owing to the complications that have presented themselves, such 
as Peritonitis, abscesses, internal hemorrhage by puncturing the coecal 
artery, or death ensuing without it (the operation) producing any sat¬ 
isfactory change; in these latter instances, it must either have been 
performed on improper cases, or too long deferred, rendering it impos¬ 
sible for the operation to attain the merits it really deserves. 
Enterotomy has been performed by puncturing various portions 
of the intestinal tract; in the majority of instances the colon and base 
of caecum in the right Hank, “owing to the predominant gas collections 
there” is the preferred seat of puncture, however, punctures have been 
made in the left as well as inferior surface of the abdomen and even 
per rectum, without producing any detrimental consequences. Some 
very hazardous tools have been employed in performing this operation, 
and still merits are claimed for its execution, but, the most appropriate 
and approved instrument is a trocar; which has been modified in quite 
a number of ways, none practically considered of any appreciable ad¬ 
vantage. Brogniez in 1848, constructed a lancet jointed trocar that 
cannot be withdrawn from the canula to which it is fastened with screws, 
possessing a bivalve near its end, which, before introducing is conceal¬ 
ed within a receptacle, and after it is introduced the valves are thrown 
