CHOKING. 531 



tliroat and neck become, through his gulping and ineffectual 

 exertions, spasmodically drawn up ; and probably he gives every 

 now and then a loud shriek, no less expressive of his own 

 anguish than excitive of the compassion of those around him. 

 Should he attempt to swallow water, the fluid, together with 

 the saKva abounding in his mouth, returns through his nostrils. 

 These urgent symptoms are not, however, always present, and 

 they depend very much on the position of the obstructing body. 

 Thus, when it is in the pharynx, the distress, coughing, and 

 slavering are very urgent. When the obstruction is in the 

 cervical portion, there is a visible enlargement on the course of 

 the oesophagus; the general symptoms being great anxiety of 

 countenance, sunken head, tremors, and partial sweats over the 

 body, with great exhaustion shortly after the occurrence of the 

 accident." 



An obstacle lodged within the thoracic portion of the oesopha- 

 gus does not give rise to the more urgent symptoms of choking ; 

 an animal may evince a desire to drink, and may swallow water 

 until the oesophagus is filled from the foreign body upwards, and 

 which, distending the tube, causes violent attempts at vomition. 

 In cattle and dogs the act of vomition is very perfectly performed, 

 but in the horse the contents of the oesophagus are discharged 

 through the nostrils, and in lesser quantities than in other ani- 

 mals. Occasionally, however, the discharge may be through the 

 mouth as well as the nose, and the food may be expelled with 

 violence, and forced to a sufficient distance to plaster walls, rack, 

 and manger. 



In the cow the obstruction is generally a piece of turnip, 

 potato, leather, such as the sole of an old shoe — this animal 

 being very fond of chewing any material of the kind that may 

 fall in her way. In the dog, pieces of meat, bones, pins, and 

 needles, are generally the causes of choking. 



Choking with dry food, in the horse, especially in those cases 

 where the whole length of the oesophagus has been distended, is 

 the most dangerous ; but I have seen a most severe and obstinate 

 instance caused by an egg, given with the beUef that an un- 

 IroJcen egg was a cure for the colic. 



The symptoms in the cow are tympanitis of the rumen, in- 

 voluntary action of the jaws, flow of saliva from the mouth, and 

 a violent cough, causing forcible expulsion of the faeces and urine. 



