378 THE PRACTICE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE. 



oat the probable cause of choking — whether a piece of 

 leather, an apple, dry food, etc. — as the course of treatment 

 depends to a considerable extent upon the nature of the 

 obstruction. Unless the symptoms are very urgent, an 

 effort should be made to dislodge the obstruction by 

 manipulation. The head of the animal should be held 

 firmly extended by an assistant, while the practitioner 

 gently manipulates and endeavours to break up the mass, 

 or, if it be an apple, endeavours to force or favour its pas- 

 sage onward. If the obstructing body is lodged in the 

 pharynx, the hand may be passed back into the mouth 

 through a balling iron, and the cause of the trouble grasped 

 with the hand and removed. In other cases, oil and water 

 may be given the animal in a draught, the passage is there- 

 by lubricated, and the mixture, while causing an effort on 

 the part of the animal to swallow, also has a tendency to 

 soften and break up the obstructing mass if composed of 

 dry food, and its removal frequently is effected in this way. 

 If the above measures are not successful the probang must 

 be emplo3^ed. For cattle a strong leather probang with a 

 good knob on it should be used. One of smaller size should 

 be used for the horse — whalebone probangs — on account of 

 their liability to break, should never be used. The probang 

 should be well lubricated and passed gently back into the 

 oesophagus, until the obstruction is reached, when gentle 

 force should be brought to bear to cause its passage down- 

 ward into the stomach. In many cases it will be found 

 necessary to use the gag or balling iron to prevent injury to 

 the probang. If the obstructing mass be composed of dry 

 oats or bran, the practitioner should be very cautious with 

 the probang, as any undue force is likely to cause the mass 

 to become firmly impacted, in which case no amount of 

 force will effect its removal without injury to the animal. 

 After pressing gently upon the mass with the probang, the 



