RUPTURE OF THE OESOPHAGUS. 2 i7 



pressure^ accomplished by a broad breast -plate^ furnished vi ith 

 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. 



The appearance of the cardiac stricture is this — 

 The oesophageal orifice at the stomach is contracted to the 

 utmost degree : in one of my cases, a sharp-pointed instru- 

 ment was with difficulty introduced. The muscular fibres 

 surrounding the strictured part are sometimes prodigiously 

 augmented in volume; though in other cases — as in Mr.Nice^s 

 — they are ^^disgregated/^ and, so, enfeebled in power; and in 

 addition there is a morbid thickening of their lining, arising 

 from deposition into the cellular tissue interposed between 

 the muscular and cuticular coats. The cuticular membrane 

 is thrown into rugae unusually large, and is evidently in- 

 creased in substance. The stomach itself is not aff'ected. 



Treatment. — The two cases that came under my notice 

 were not unmasked until death had afforded the opportunity 

 of investigating their nature, and consequently were not 

 submitted to any specific or appropriate treatment. Were I 

 to encounter another, I should endeavour to pass a bougie, 

 of proper size, as far as, or even into, the stomach, with a 

 view of ascertaining the seat and nature of the obstruction; 

 which, being ascertained to be stricture, might possibly admit 

 of dilatation, or of the conveyance of caustic to it. Should, 

 however, so long a passage for the bougie render it unavail- 

 able against the stricture, we must do as Mr. Cheetham did, 

 make an incision through the neck into the oesophagus, and 

 pass the bougie or probang from thence. A cardiac stric- 

 ture would, of necessity, prove a very troublesome, perhaps 

 an intractable, aff'air : one witliin the neck, or even the chest, 

 might admit of being overcome. 



RUPTURE OF THE (ESOPHAGUS. 



This is a lesion we can hardly look for save from violence 

 or injury of some kind. Mr. Cartwright relates a case of it 

 in ' The Veterinarian,^ vol. xxv, p. 545. He was called to 



