532 DISEASES OF THE PUAEYN'X, (ESOmAGUS, FTG 



Tympanitis is also occasionallj present in the horse. In the dog 

 violent retching and cough, with staring, prominent eyev**, are tha 

 most conspicuous signs. 



In some rare cases in the horse the actual cause of disorder 

 may be overlooked, more especially when the foreign body is 

 ^vithin the thoracic portion of the oesophagus, and I have seen 

 cases where loss of appetite, bloodshot eyes, constipation, and 

 discharge of saliva from the mouth, were the only apparent 

 symptoms, until a more minute examination proved the exist- 

 ence of a swelling along the course of the oesophagus, on the 

 left side of the neck. 



Mr. Gamgee ai ranges the causes under two heads : "1st. Those 

 dependent on the animal itself ; and 2<L The nature of tlie food." 

 "With reference to those under the fii-st head, tliey are — " 1st. Any 

 influence which may favour the contraction of the throat or 

 guUet on the object ffwallowed, 2d, Inflammation or ulcera- 

 tion of the throat and gullet, which favour dioking. The ulcera- 

 tion which follows bad accidents of Uiis description, and wliich. 

 is especially troublesome a week after an animal has been relieved 

 (of choking), often causes a dangerous accumulation of alimen- 

 tary matters low down in the oesophagus. S(L Organic disease 

 of the oesophagus, especially constiictions such as are observed 

 in crib-biting horses. AiJu Injuries and diseases of the salivary 

 apparatus or organs of mastication, whereby food is imperfectly 

 chewed and moistened. If the parotid ducts in a horse are both 

 opened, bo as to allow of the escape of the secretion, the animal 

 soon suffers from impaction of the gullet. 5/7u Voracious appe- 

 tite and rapid deglutition of bulky or dry food." 



The following ceises may be interesting. They are from a> 

 paper publislied in the Veterinarian, by Jklr. King of Stanmore : — " 



llr. Eong observes that " choking is common among old 

 horses whose grinders are imperfect, and whose Iceen appetites 

 mcite them to bolt their corn. He has seen the oesophagus in 

 tliis manner distended " almost from the stomach to the throat " — 

 a cose in which recovery is v^j rare. Mr. King's pi-actice is to 

 pour down fluids, and press and squeeze the oesophagus, with a 

 view of mingling the liquid introduced among t]\e ffiasses of 

 corn ; and this manipulation has occasionally succeeded. 



The follcnving case shows how much a pi-actitioner may Ixj 

 led astray by false or imi)eifect accounts : — 



