Now, what results follow these operations? At first they are almost invariably successful, but the complaint is that, in most cases, the rupture recurs. The principle is to plug up the passage by the mechanical presence of the invaginated skin, the plug being retained in position by adhesive inflammation between it and the edges of the dilated ring. But the ring is left dilated, or, indeed, generally its dilatation is increased; and as, on continued pressure from within, the new adhesions give way, or, as often happens, a new protrusion takes place in the circular _cul-de-sac_ necessarily left all round the apex of the invagination, the still lax ring and canal offer no resistance to the protrusion. (_b._) The principle of constriction of the canal by reuniting its separated sides. This is the principle of the various methods introduced by Mr. Wood of King's College, and described by him in his most able and exhaustive work.[148] He applies sutures through the sides of the dilated inguinal or crural canals, or umbilical openings, in such a manner as to insure their complete closure. 1. _For inguinal hernia._--To stitch together the two sides of the canal with safety requires attention to several points--(1.) That it be done nearly, if not entirely, subcutaneously. (2.) That the protruding bowel should be kept out of the way, and not be transfixed by the needle. (3.) That the spermatic cord should be protected from injurious pressure. These different indications are attained by Mr. Wood by a very ingenious mode of operating, which I can describe here only briefly, and for a full description of which I must refer to Mr. Wood's own monograph already alluded to. For his first twenty cases Mr. Wood used strong hempen thread for the stitches; of late, however, he has proved the greater advantage of strong wire. When a large old hernia in an adult is the subject of operation, it is thus performed by Mr. Wood:--The pubes being shaved, and the patient put thoroughly under the influence of chloroform, the rupture is reduced, and the operator's forefinger forced up the canal so as to push every morsel of bowel fairly into the abdomen. An assistant then commands the internal ring by pressure, to prevent return of the rupture.