THE MODERN HORSE DOCTOR. 141 



in the urine before mentioned, for the agitation of the tail ; the 

 frequent desire to stale ; the erections of the penis of the stone- 

 horse ; the outstretching of the legs of the gelding ; the reddening 

 of the mucous membrane of the vulva of females, and the sense 

 of heat in introducing the finger into the vagina. The skin Avill 

 not prove exempt from becoming sur-excited, as will be evinced 

 by its elevation of temperature, its state of dryness or sweat, 

 the slight adherence of the hair, its dull and rough aspect ; and, 

 moreover, in some epidemics, by the buttony eruptions manifest 

 upon it. At the last, swellings rise upon the hind legs or hocks ; 

 cedema appears upon the belly, sheath, and breast ; the scrotum 

 becomes covered with a dried matter in place of the natural unc- 

 tuous secretion ; or else phlegmonous tumors form upon divers 

 parts of the body; some we have observed upon the parotids 

 and breast. 



"Autopsies. — Postmortem inspections have shown different 

 and various diseases, according as gastro-enteritis has set in more 

 or less suddenly, been slow or rapid in its course, and more or less 

 complicated with the inflammation of some viscus or other part, 

 besides the stomach and intestine ; for it is to be remarked, that 

 constantly one organ is especially attacked, and exhibits dis- 

 ease violent in proportion as other organs are slightly affected. 

 The mucous membrane lining the stomach is more or less red- 

 dened, particularly the portion within the right sac, the entire 

 surface of which sometimes appears so ; besides which it is in- 

 jected, and in some places ecchymosed. The red color — proof 

 incontestable of the existence of inflammation during life — ap- 

 pears under a great variety of shades ; the deep-brown tint 

 shows gangrene, a change also indicated by the friability of the 

 part and its speedy progress to putrefaction after death. Patches 

 of redness are also visible in different places upon the membrane, 

 (the mucous follicles being larger than common ;) sometimes 

 superficial ulcerations, petechias even, and gangrenous eschars, 

 which may be nothing more than ecchymosis. Similar appear- 

 ances are found in the small intestines, whose mucous membrane 

 in many parts is reddened, injected, softened, and studded with 

 assemblages of pointed eruptions ; a gray, thick, glairy mucus, 

 and some petechial spots, are also visible. In some cases, the 



