DILATATION AND STRICTUEE OF THE (ESOPHAGUS. 539 



was observed that food lodged in the sac of the oesophagus was 

 frequently returned into the mouth, and afterwards re-swallowed, 

 and then passed into the stomach. On being taken from grass, 

 a quantity of corn was given to her, in order to ascertain if the 

 stoppage still existed. The corn accumulated the same as before. 

 Mr. C. determined on an operation. He made an incision four 

 inches long in the oesophagus, opposite the sixth cervical vertebra. 

 The tube seemed divested of its muscular fibres, and was com- 

 posed of cuticular coat alone. The contents of the sac were 

 removed, and she was drenched with warm water to wash out 

 the oesophagus. The sac appeared three or four inches in dia- 

 meter ; but the opening leading from it below was so contracted 

 that it only admitted a probang half-an-inch in diameter. After 

 the operation the mare drank freely of warm water, which, by 

 applying pressure upon the wound, passed uninterruptedly into 

 the stomach, though without the pressure the greater part 

 escaped. She was bled, and had an aperient. The wound was 

 fomented, and poulticed, and dressed; and the mare partook 

 freely of gruel. Some sloughing followed, which brought away 

 j)art of the oesophagus ; after which the wound became healthy. 

 Mr. C. now introduced a probang, of the dimensions of the first 

 he used, through the stricture; which operation he repeated 

 twice or thrice a day for ten successive days, with probangs of 

 larger size. Thus was the stricture — which appeared to have 

 been seated at the place where the tube enters the chest — over- 

 come ; and since then the probang has been occasionally intro- 

 duced by the owner himself. To assist the mare in swallowing, 

 the sac was aided in its action by pressure, accomplished by a 

 broad breast-plate furnished with a pad. The sac gradually grew 

 less; and the mare at length became enabled to consume her 

 rations, and soon after recovered all her life and gaiety." 



STRICTURE OF CARDIAC EXTREMITY OF (ESOPHAGUS. 



" The appearance of the cardiac stricture is this — the oesopha- 

 geal orifice at the stomach is contracted to the utmost degree : in 

 one of my cases, a sharp-pointed instrument was with difficulty 

 introduced. The muscular fibres surrounding the strictured part 

 are prodigiously augmented in volume, and, in addition, there is 

 a morbid thickening of their lining, arising from deposition into 



