Hernia

(her’-ne-a). Commonly called rupture: protrusion of any of the internal organs through the surrounding ti ues, most common in the case of the bowels. Inguinal hernia is through the inguinal canal; direct, through the external ring, and oblique, through the internal ring. Strangulated, so tightly constricted that gangrene results if operation does not relieve. Scrotal is descending into the scrotum, and umbilical is hernia at the navel. Taxis is the usual means of returning the protruded part if po ible, and a tru is then worn to prevent the rupture occurring again. A rupture not amenable to taxis is termed irreducible.