DISEASES 01 THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 179 



thing regarding its cause and symptoms, which are all detailed in 

 the following case, from the author's note-book : 



Death of a Horse from Ruptured Stomach. — The subject, a black 

 gelding, nine years old, had been driven a distance of twelve miles 

 into the city; on arriving at the "City Hotel stable," he first 

 manifested signs of uneasiness, by pawing with his feet and turn- 

 ing his head toward the belly. He finally got d(nvn, rolled, 

 tumbled about, and passed considerable flatus, etc. His owner, 

 supposing him to be the subject of colic, administered a dose of 

 " fire-water," in the form of gin and cayenne pepper, followed by 

 three ounces of spirits of niter. He urinated freely, passed con- 

 siderable flatus, yet grew no better very fast. Four hours from 

 the commencement of the attack our attention was called to him. 

 The case then a])peared hopeless, consequently we declined pre- 

 scribing. The following were the symptoms: Pulse, small and 

 thready; in number, fifty-six; respirations, sixty — laborious, 

 emitting, occasionally, a sort of grunt, indicative of i)ressure, from 

 a distended stomach, on the diaphragm and lungs. The eyes 

 were amaurotic (pupils dilated and loss of vision); sclerotica 

 (white of the eye) slightly injected; conjunctival membrane, 

 within the eyelids, surcharged with blood. The buccal membrane, 

 within the mouth, intensely inflamed, induced, proi)ably, by the 

 fire-water drench. The tongue was of a leaden hue, and the nasal 

 membranes were somewhat reddened. The body, or external 

 surface, was the seat of profuse perspiration, which ran down the 

 limbs like rain. They, as well as other parts of the body, re- 

 mained comfortably warm until within a few minutes of death. 

 There appeared to be considerable distension in the region of the 

 stomach, and less at the flanks, from which circumstance we con- 

 cluded that the patient was laboring under tympanitis (windy dis- 

 tension) of the stomach. At the moment of death, the reverse 

 was the case, which circumstance seemed to confirm this o[)inion; 

 for then, the stomach being ruptured, the gas would diffuse itself 

 in the abdominal cavity and increase in bulk. 



Aspect and motions of the body. — The head was kept within 

 striking distance of the ground ; the tail was elevated, and kept 

 in a quivering condition (involuntary). The fore extremities were 

 advanced, one leg frequently crossing the other; the hinder parta 

 maintained a couching attitude, and the penis hung penduloua. 

 When not in this position, the patient ;vould revolve in a circle; 



