ngates their fibres.]

[Illustration: Abdomen, showing bone, blood vessels
and other internal organs.]
Plate 41--Figure 6

PLATE 41. Fig. 7.--When an external inguinal hernia, 11, dilates and
protrudes the peritonaeum from the closed internal ring, 1, and descends
the inguinal canal and fibrous tube, 3, 3, it imitates, in most
respects, the original descent of the testicle. The difference between
both descents attaches alone to the mode in which they become covered by
the serous membrane; for the testicle passes through the internal ring
behind the inguinal peritonaeum, at the same time that it takes a
duplicature of this membrane; whereas the bowel encounters this part of
the peritonaeum from within, and in this mode becomes invested by it on
all sides. This figure also represents the form and relative position of
a hernia, as occurring in Figs. 1 and 3, 5, and 6, Plate 41.

[Illustration: Abdomen, showing bone, blood vessels
and other internal organs.]
Plate 41--Figure 7

PLATE 41, Fig. 8.--When the serous spermatic tube only closes at the
internal ring, as seen at 1, Fig. 4, Plate 41, if a hernia afterwards
pouch the peritonaeum at this part, and enter the inguinal canal, we
shall then have the form of hernia, Fig. 8, Plate 41, termed infantile.
Two serous sacs will be here found, one within the cord, 13, and
communicating with the tunica vaginalis, the other, 11, containing the
bowel, and being received by inversion into the upper extremity of the
first. Thus the infantile serous canal, 13, receives the hernial sac,
11. The inguinal canal and cord may become multicapsular, as in Fig. 8,
from various causes, each capsule being a distinct serous membrane.
First, independent of hernial formation, the original serous tube may
become interruptedly obliterated, as in Plate 40, Fig. 2. Secondly,
these sacs may persist to adult age, and have a hernial sac added to
their number, whatever this may be. Thirdly, the original serous tube,
13, Fig. 8, may persist, and after having received the hernial sac, 11,
the bowel may have been reduced, leaving its sac behind it in the
inguinal canal; the neck of this sac may have been obliterated by the
pressure of a truss, a second hernia may protrude at the point 1, and
this may be received into the first hernial sac in the same manner as
the first was received into the original serous infantile tube. The
possibility of these occurrences is self-evident, even if they were
n