Omphalophlebitis with liver involvement was diagnosed by ultrasonography in 13 calves. In the initial surgical procedure, the infected umbilical vein was marsupialized by cranial translocation in a median celiotomy and was flushed daily until healing occurred. In a second surgical procedure, the contracted umbilical vein was removed. Nine calves were clinically healthy after treatment. One had reformation of two abscesses because of inadequate post-surgical treatment. One calf was euthanatized because of an intussusception of the small intestine, and two calves had adverse reactions and developed septic shock when some of the lavage fluid, which was applied under pressure, entered the systemic circulation. It was concluded that umbilical vein abscesses should not be flushed under pressure in calves younger than 2 months of age. The principal advantages of cranial translocation of the umbilical vein in a median celiotomy are that only one abdominal incision is required and that the infected umbilical vein tissue does not have to be passed intraabdominally to a paramedian position.

The effect of Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide (VIP) on muscle strips from the reticular groove, the reticulo-omasal orifice (ROO) and the omasal canal was studied. VIP caused a concentrationdependent (10-8-5 .10-7 mol/l) reduction of the acetylcholine-induced (55 . mol/l) contraction of the reticular groove muscle preparations from calves and adult cattle. VIP was more effective in the muscle strips from calves than in those from adult cattle. Moreover, the circular muscle strips from the reticular groove were more sensitive to VIP than the longitudinal muscle strips.VIP also induced a concentration-related (10+-5 . io-'mol/l) relaxation of muscle strips from the calf ROO. Furthermore, both circular and longitudinal muscle strips from the omasal canal of the calf were relaxed by VIP (10-'-5~10-7m0l/l). The relaxing effect of VIP on the circular muscle strips from the reticular groove of the calf was not significantly affected during incubation with 5 . 10dmoVl tetrodotoxin. The relaxing effect of VIP therefore seems to be mediated by VIP receptors of smooth muscle cells.These properties of VIP in conjunction with its presence in nerve fibres located in the wall of the reticular groove and ROO are consistent with a role of VIP as inhibitory transmitter in this region of the bovine stomach.