1-^8 THE FARM DOCTvR. 



addition there is in the groove on the left side of the neck, a 

 diffuse soft yielding swelling, provided the obstruction is situ- 

 ated above the chest. 



Treatfnejjt. — Sharp-pointed bodies lodged in the throat must 

 be carefully sought for and extracted. Solid objects in this 

 region can usually be withdrawn with the hand. Have the 

 animal held with the head elevated into a hne with the neck, 

 and the mouth held open with a balling iron ; then the tongue 

 being drawn out with the left hand, the right is passed through 

 the mouth into the throat, and the middle finger hooked over 

 the offending body so as to withdraw it. If lodged still lower 

 it may often be worked up into the throat by pressure beneath 

 it with one hand in each furrow along the lower border of the 

 neck. A vigorous jerk at the last seconded by the action of 

 the pharynx will often lodge it in the mouth, but if not it is 

 easily extracted as above advised. 



Should this fail and tympany prove threatening lose no time 

 in gagging the animal. A smooth roller of wood two inches in 

 diameter is tied into the mouth by cords carried from its ends 

 around the top of the head — behind the horns in cattle. Swell- 

 ing never increases dangerously with this applied, and in a few 

 hours the obstruction usually passes on. 



More prompt relief may be obtained by using a probang of 

 leather or other material with a spiral spring wire internally, the 

 whole two-thirds of an inch in diameter, six feet long, and with 

 one end enlarged to one and a half inches in diameter, and 

 cup-shaped. This is oiled and the head having been brought 

 into a line with the neck, the balling iron introduced and the 

 tongue drawn out, the cup-shaped end is introduced and pushetl 

 on until the obstruction is reached. Steady pressure must be 

 kept up on this for a few seconds, when it will yield and should 

 be passed into the stomach by introducing the probang to its 

 whole length. If it resists leave the animal for an hour or two 

 gagged, and try again. In the horse the probang cannot be 



