226 Obstructiou of the Esophagus. 



eign body itself or by the swallowed material subsequently 

 causes antiperistaltic movements. 



Pressure of the foreign body ujion the neighboring organs 

 disturbs their function, more or less, while the compressed or 

 directly injured mucosa of the esophagus may get into an in- 

 flammatory condition which may lead to necrosis. Inflamma- 

 tory changes frequently are also produced in front of the ob- 

 struction in consequence of accumulating, decomposing mate- 

 rials. This diminishes the resistance of the esophageal wall 

 and makes an acute dilation of the esophagais possible. 



Symptoms. Pain and the peculiar sensation produced by 

 the lodgment of the foreign body cause the animal to make 

 strong efforts at deglutition, and to become quite restless. The 

 animal suddenly ceases to feed, becomes restless, lowers and 

 stretches its head and makes strong attempts at deglutition, 

 now and then it opens its mouth, from which saliva flows abun- 

 chmtly; the expression of the face betrays great anxiety, the 

 tongue protrudes from the mouth, and a convulsive cough is 

 heard from time to time. The symptoms eventually become 

 less marked, but are lial)le to recur now and then. The inges- 

 tion of food and drink is entirely abolished or the patients at- 

 tempt to swallow food and water after becoming more quieted 

 and on feeling hungry. But these are soon thrown out of the 

 mouth and nose, although in incomplete obstruction water may 

 get into the stomach. These attempts give us some informa- 

 tion about the site of the obstruction. If it is located in the an- 

 terior portion, morsels of food and water at once return after 

 an attempt at deglutition ; if the obstruction is at the caudal end 

 we may see how the swallowed material passes along the esopli- 

 agns as indicated in the left jugailar depression. The expul- 

 sion occurs the later the nearer to the caudal end the obstruction 

 is located. The patients sometimes keep on swallowing in 

 spite of the obstruction, until the esophagus is filled completely, 

 even up into the pharynx; then the ingestion of food usually 

 ceases, but the animals continue to masticate on an empty mouth 

 and to make convulsive attempts at deglutition. In such cases 

 the gullet can be felt as a firm or more or less soft cylindrical 

 mass on the left side of the neck. Kneading of the mass may 

 eventually excite gagging. From time to time masses of mas- 

 ticated food mixed with saliva are expelled from the mouth 

 and nose; during these attacks the animals are quite restless, 

 and the mass expelled is undigested and does not contain any 

 free HCl. After ol)struction has lasted some time, dilation of 

 the esophagus sometimes occurs (see page 235). 



The cause and site of the obstruction may be ascertained in 

 a number of cases. Pieces lodged in the anterior portion of the 

 esophagus may be seen in the well illuminated pharynx of the 

 dog and cat or they may be palpated with the finger; in cattle 

 they may be felt after the mouth has been opened, and the whole 

 hand introduced. 



