Symptoms. Course and Prognosis. 227 



If a foreign body lias lodged in the cervical portion of the 

 esophagus, the jugular depression is only bulging at a circum- 

 scribed space, either at the left or at both sides; in the latter 

 case the bulging is more marked on the left than on the other 

 side. By palpation one may occasionally be able to determine 

 the consistency and shape of the body; this manipulation usu- 

 ally causes gagging or the expulsion of a foamy fluid. 



The location of an obstruction in the thoracic portion can 

 only be ascertained by the use of the esophageal sound or by 

 a careful analysis of the disturbances of deglutition. Foreign 

 bodies of a high specific gravity (especially metals), may be 

 made visible in all animals by the aid of the Roentgen (X) rays. 



In cattle and in ruminants in general, meteorism is pro- 

 duced the more rapidly, the more complete the obstruction and 

 the more fermentable the previously ingested food has been. 

 Gases can, however, be expelled partially in incomplete obstruc- 

 tion of the esophagus, hence meteorism is only moderate. Un- 

 der these conditions the animal may begin to feed and then pro- 

 duce a complete obstruction by the swallowed morsels which 

 fail to pass down. 



If the obstruction lasts for any length of time in hogs, they 

 may become moderately bloated; in such cases they stand 

 quietly, with their head bent down, their mouth open ; they are 

 salivated, gagging occurs as if they wanted to vomit. They do 

 not lie down, or if they do at all, for a short time only. Thirst 

 is increased, the animals try repeatedly to drink, but the water 

 returns to, and runs out of the mouth. If the foreign body is 

 near the pharynx, the animals produce a yelping sound instead 

 of a grunt. 



Course and Prognosis. Foreign bodies lodged in the esoph- 

 agus are frequently and often expelled within a short time in 

 consequence of repeated gagging, or they are transported into 

 the stomach or rumen by continuous strong contractions of the 

 muscles of the esophagus. In this manner the animals recover 

 spontaneously. This happens the more easily, the smaller, 

 smoother and softer the foreign body is and the nearer it lias 

 become wedged to either the anterior or posterior extremity 

 of the esophagus. However, if the efforts of the patients are 

 futile and if they are left to themselves, there occurs a progres- 

 sive deterioration of their condition. Cattle may die from suf- 

 focation within a few hours after the obstruction occurred, in 

 consequence of the rapidly developing bloating, followed by 

 disturbances of respiration and circulation. A rapidly fatal 

 issue may also take place in some cases in consequence of com- 

 pression of the trachea or of the nerves running along the esoph- 

 agus, or of obstruction of the larynx by particles of food 

 (Sequens). 



In other cases, the animals may suffer from an obstruc- 

 tion for some time, even for several days, but in such cases pro- 



