THE TOOTH IK THE C^ECUtf. 191 



however, the 'canula' escaped from the caecum. The 

 swelling now began again, and increased with extraor- 

 dinary rapidity. I was about to plunge the trocar into 

 the intestines once more, when I perceived that all 

 treatment was useless. The animal was in the agonies 

 of death, and in a few moments it expired. 



" The post-mortem examination took place immedi- 

 ately after death. I found in the heart and lungs all 

 the lesions which usually accompany death by suffoca- 

 tion. The digestive canal was distended by gas. The 

 stomach was half filled with barleymeal, but not a par- 

 ticle of it was found throughout the whole extent of 

 the small intestines, nor was there the slightest trace 

 of inflammation of the mucous coat. The caecum con- 

 tained a great quantity of blood-tinted fluid, but there 

 was no lesion or redness on any part of its internal 

 face to indicate the source of the blood. Probably it 

 came from the wound made by the trocar. 



" In the cavity of the caecum, toward its point, we 

 found the tooth ; but, I repeat it, there was no inflam- 

 mation of its mucous membrane. There was, how- 

 ever, a slight discoloration of the membrane toward 

 the end of the colon ; it was of a slate color, and was 

 probably caused by the sulphuretted hydrogen gas. 



"Are we to conclude that the death of the horse 

 was caused by the tooth? However extraordinary 

 such a conclusion may at first appear, I am very much 

 inclined to believe that it affords the best explanation 

 of the mystery. The horse had scarcely eaten for 

 fifteen days. This long fast had produced a compara- 

 tively empty condition of the digestive canal and an 

 augmentation of its irritability up to the moment of 

 the operation. The quietness of the horse and his 

 appetite and apparent health during the two days pre- 



