488 THE DISEASES AND DISORDERS OF THE OX. 



taken. There are also other important points to be borne in 

 mind in these chronic cases. The food should be somewhat 

 restricted in amount. It should be light, and should be given 

 at regular intervals. Exercise is beneficial in these cases. Much 

 also will depend upon the general management of the animal. 



Before passing on to the consideration of the other diseases of 

 the paunch, we propose to treat of obstruction of the gullet and 

 choking in beasts, and of the treatment necessary in such cases. 

 The impaction in the gullet of portions of food, such as pieces 

 of turnip, mangold wurzel, potato, carrot, or of such foreign 

 bodies as pieces of wood or other hard material, is unfortunately 

 a common occurrence. A knowledge, therefore, of this subject 

 should be gained by all those who have to deal with the 

 management of stock. Even the uninitiated have not very often 

 any difficulty in recognising a case of choking. 



When the passage of the gullet is obstructed by the lodgment 

 of a foreign body, the offending matter may be situated in the first 

 portion of the gullet. In these cases the choking is spoken of as 

 pharyngeal. In other instances the body may be impacted lower 

 down in the neck, when the choking is spoken of as cervical. 

 Lastly, the body may be lodged in that portion of the gullet 

 which is situated in the chest cavity, and in these cases the 

 choking is spoken of as intra-thoracic (within the chest). We 

 may first say a few words of the general signs of choking, and 

 then we propose to speak of each variety separately. 



Choking, it must be pointed out, is not always occasioned by 

 the lodgment of portions of food as they descend towards the 

 stomach, but may also be caused by the impaction of food during 

 its regurgitation towards the mouth during rumination. A 

 choking animal becomes uneasy, and has difficulty in breathing, 

 and coughs frequently. The saliva, in viscid, ropy strings, 

 dribbles from the mouth, the jaws move continually, and the 

 head is held out in a peculiar, stiffened manner. The animal 

 attempts to regurgitate the impacted matter, and moans at fre- 

 quent intervals. The appetite is lost, rumination is suspended, 

 and if the poor creature drinks anything, the fluid is returned 

 through the nostrils. One of the worst symptoms, and indeed 

 the only symptom of any real danger in cases of choking, is the 

 accumulation of gases in the rumen, which organ becomes 

 swollen up and distended in an inordinate degree. This symp- 



