THE CESOPHAGUS, OR PROBANG. 279 



The gullet pursues its course down the neck on the left of the 

 ■windpipe, until it reaches the chest. It enters with the windpipe 

 and blood-vessels through the opening between the two first ribs, 

 and then winds its way along the upper part, until it reaches the 

 diaphragm, which it pierces, and then soon terminates in a singular 

 canal, which will presently be described. 



OBSTRUCTIOX IN THE GULLET. 



This is commonly called cAoArm^. When a beast is first put on 

 carrots, or parsnips, or potatoes, or turnips, he is very apt to be 

 choked. The first mastication is always a very careless afiair, and 

 everything that is put before the anima^ is swallowed with very httle 

 chewing. If the herdsman has not been attentive in slicing or 

 bruising the roots, mischief of this kind is likely to happen. It hap- 

 pens often when eggs, to promote condition in cattle, are given 

 whole, or loaded with tar, or some nauseous drug, in cases of blain, 

 hoose, mawsick, or other supposed stomach complaints. 



When the root sticks in the gullet, and can be evidently seen and 

 felt there, the farmer or the cowherd first gets his cart-whip — in 

 good hands not a dangerous instrument, on account of its being plia- 

 ble and yielding ; others take a cart-rope, which is somewhat more 

 objectionable, because the ends may do mischief. They who have 

 neither good sense nor regard for the sufferings they may inflict, 

 take even a common rack-stick. Whatever it be, they thrust it down 

 the gullet and work away might and main, to drive the offending 

 body down. 



There is no doubt that some instrument should be introduced into 

 the gullet, in order to push the root into the stomach, but it is the 

 force that is used to which we object, and that does all the mischief. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE (ESOPHAGUS PROBANG. 



Every farmer should have a flexible probang ready for use, either 

 of the improved kind, as contrived by Mr. Read, or on the plan of 

 that which was first introduced by Dr. Monro. 



The cut on p. 280 will give a sufiicient idea of the construction of 

 the most useful probang, or oesophagus-tube. 



Fig. 1. a. The tube, made either of simple leather, or of leather 

 covering a canal formed of spiral wire. It is about four feet and a 

 half in length, so as to reach from the mouth to the rumen, and 

 leaving a sufficient portion outside the mouth for it to be firmly 

 grasped. 



h. The stilett, represented as introduced into the tube, and run- 

 ning the whole length of it. It gives greater firmness and strength 

 to the tube, when it is either passed into the stomach in cases of 

 hoove, or used to force anything down the gullet. 



c. The handle of the stilett. 



