268 



A DICTIONARY. 



about an inch round, may be excised from 

 the anterior cartilaginous substance. The 

 proper mode, when it can be done, however, 

 is to make a circular opening with a very- 

 narrow knife, removing a portion of two 

 cartilages, or taking a semicircular piece from 

 each ; and this last, although it is seldom 

 performed, is by far the best method : the 

 integuments should be first divided in the 

 exact centre of the neck, three or four inches 

 below the obstruction; then the skin and 

 tissues should be sufficiently separated to 

 allow a tube adapted to the size of the tra- 

 chea to be introduced ; the tube having an 

 acute turn and a rim, which must be fur- 

 nished with holes for the adaptation of tapes 

 to secure it around the neck. There are 

 several instruments of this sort in use, of 

 which that adopted by the French, or the 

 one invented by ]\Ir. Gowing of Camden- 

 Town, is to be preferred. The operation 

 has been also performed in cases of roaring, 

 under an idea of dividing the stricture which 

 impeded respiration ; but, unless the exact 

 situation of this were discovered, it would 

 be but an experimental attempt. 



" GEsophagotomy. — It was long thought 

 that a wound in the cEsophagus must be 

 necessarily fatal, but we have now sufficient 

 proofs to the contrary on record; so that 

 we are not deterred from cutting into the 

 esophageal tube when it is necessary ; but 

 it is "an operation requiring skUl and anato- 

 mical knowledge ; and its future results are 

 sometimes very serious. The cases that 

 call for esophagotomy are the lodgment of 

 accidental substances within the tube. An 

 apple once so lodged was removed by inci- 

 sion by a veterinary surgeon at Windsor. 

 Carrots, parsneps, beets, etc., are liable to 

 produce such obstruction when not sliced. 

 Too large a medicinal mass also has lodged 

 there ; and a voracious eater has, by at- 

 tempting to swallow too large a quantity of 

 not salivated bran or chaff, produced an ob- 

 struction which pressed on the trachea and 

 tlu-eatcncd suffocation. In all cases of ob- 

 struction of this kind we will suppose that a 

 probang well oiled has been previously at- 

 tempted to be passed, and has completely 



failed. The probang for the horse, however, 

 differs materially from that used for the cow. 

 It is formed after the fashion of the one 

 adopted by the human practitioner, consist- 

 ing of a j)liable piece of whalebone, having 

 a sponge tied to one end. The operation 

 being determined on may be practised stand- 

 ing ; if the swelling be large, no fear need be 

 entertained about cutting important organs, 

 as the enlargement will push them on one 

 side. Cut down, therefore, directly upon 

 the centre of the impacted substance. If 

 the horse be cast, which is quite unnecessary, 

 have him of course thrown with his left side 

 uppermost. It w^ill also be necessary to 

 command a good light. The part of the 

 neck chosen for the opening must of course 

 be governed by the obstructing mass. A 

 section should be made through the integu- 

 ments and cellular tissue beneath them, 

 right into the oesophagus, if possible with 

 one cut, and into the centre of the pipe. K 

 this be not done at once, and it requires some 

 dexterity so as to effect it, mind to make aU 

 future incisions in a line with the first open- 

 ing ; as it is important that the cellular tis- 

 sue should be little interfered with. The 

 oesophagus, fairly cut into the impactment, 

 should jump forth ; should it not do so, do 

 not manipulate, or attempt to force it out, 

 but enlarge the opening, and the substance 

 will come through when that is long enough ; 

 but no fingering could compel its exit while 

 the opening is too small. The end gained 

 for which the incision was made in the 

 oesophagus, the wound may be then closed 

 by the interrupted sutures, each holding a 

 small piece of tow above the orifice, and 

 having their ends hanging out of the exter- 

 nal opening, which should also be brought 

 together by sutures. The after-treatment 

 should be, to interdict aU dry food ; the ani- 

 mal ought to subsist on very thick gruel for 

 three, four, or five days. If the condition 

 appears to suffer much, allow malt mashes, 

 and when so doing watch the wound ; and 

 if the matters taken in are seen to ooze out, 

 wash them away frequently with warm 

 water, to prevent lodgment, which might 

 encourage sinuses to form ; and after each 



