FOREIGN BODIES IN THE DIGESTIVE TRACT. 569 



foreign body. The discharge of needles, hair-pins, and portions of 

 wire has often been observed in cattle, and usually occurs on the 

 left side, close behind the elbow. Avril removed a tobacco pricker, 

 which had lain for six months in the ox's rumen, from this point. 

 Recovery is generally perfect, stomach or bowel fistula being seldom 

 produced. Sometimes the foreign body enters other organs, such 

 as the spleen, and induces abscess formation, and death from 

 peritonitis. Sheep and goats are less frequent victims, though cases 

 of perforation of the abdominal walls and fatal peritonitis have also 

 been seen in them. 



Light foreign bodies, like hair and wool balls, remain lying in 

 the stomach or lumen of the bowel, though heavy objects, like metal 

 balls, knives, &c, often fail to pass the stomach. Sometimes they 

 produce no discomfort, as in the case of a dog which swallowed a 

 grape-shot, and in Nichoux's case, where the animal carried a silver 

 five-franc piece and a large sou in his stomach for twelve years ; 

 but sometimes digestion is disturbed. Lighter foreign bodies obstruct 

 the pylorus, or entering the bowel are apt to become fixed at the 

 ileo-csecal valve. Bottle corks are particularly dangerous, on account 

 of their swelling in the bowel. 



Symptoms and course. Patients are seldom directly observed 

 when swallowing foreign bodies, and the presence of the latter in 

 the digestive tract can only be discovered by the symptoms they 

 give rise to. In cattle, the first sign of injury to the stomach is sudden 

 unaccountable disturbance in digestion, with periodic colic and 

 tympanites ; dyspnoea soon follows, in consequence of injury to the 

 diaphragm and lungs ; irregularity in the action of the heart sets 

 in later, the cardiac beat becomes laboured and intermittent ; auscul- 

 tation reveals pericardial murmurs, whilst the heart sounds still 

 appear normal. To these are added rubbing, scraping, buzzing, or 

 creaking sounds, or fluid sounds, like gurgling and bubbling. Cir- 

 culation is impaired, oedema is present below the chest and in the 

 dew-lap, and the jugular vein betrays pulsation (venous pulse). 

 And lastly, palpation of the abdomen close to the ensiform cartilage 

 towards the site of the reticulum, and in the heart region, may cause 

 pain. 



Sucking calves exhibit symptoms of abomasal indigestion, are 

 listless, with a fever temperature (103° to 105° Fall.), breathing 

 heavily and groaning ; milk returns through the nose. After sucking 

 these symptoms appear aggravated for a time, the abomasum being 

 distended and painful to pressure. When arising from simple 

 indigestion, improvement will follow in 12 hours, if a laxative be 



