248 DISEASES OF THE TEETH, ETC. 



a mare to whom the groom had been attempting to give a 

 diuretic ball, without succeeding, who would neither eat nor 

 swallow, but seemed as if choking, drawing her head towards 

 her breast and retching, with spasmodic action of the neck, 

 &c. No obstruction nor enlargement could be discovered. 

 She retched and coughed occasionally. A sheep probang 

 introduced stopped at one third of the neck. Water poured 

 into her mouth in part went down, though most of it re- 

 turned. Attempted to give gruel, but this produced spasm 

 and retching. The mare lived eight days. '^ From eiglit to 

 ten inches of the upper portion of the oesophagus was found 

 very dark-coloured and thickened ; was, in fact, a mass of 

 decomposed muscle and cellular tissue, in the interior of which 

 was a cavity eight inches long: the opening into it com- 

 mencing superiorly over the larynx, and proceeding into the 

 muscular substance of the superior part of the oesophagus. 

 It had evidently been made with some sharp or rough instru- 

 ment. The remainder of the tube was normal." 



Mr. Cartwright remarks, in regard to the case : '^From this 

 rare case we may learn, that the symptoms of such an injury 

 are not of that violent nature as when there is mechanical 

 obstruction. This mare lived ten days without swallowing 

 more, I should think, than a quart or two of water or gruel; 

 and I fancy she gained little nourishment from the clysters, 

 as they were frequently ejected after being given. Now, 

 what produced the injury ? The groom acknowledges that 

 he had been giving a ball the day before, unknown to his 

 master, but he flatly denies having given it upon the end of 

 a stick. It is very certain that, if it was not done by such 

 means, it was ivilfully done by some one. 



CHOKING. 



Every now and then it happens that a portion of food, or 

 some solid body, becomes lodged within the pharynx or 

 oesophagus, without the horse possessing the power either of 

 swallowing or disgorging it. Grain, small potatoes, pieces 

 of turnip or carrot, a ball of large size or hard consistence 



