DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 27 



divided food lodging in and filling up a portion of the gullet. This 

 latter form of the accident is most likely to occur in animals which are 

 greedy feeders. 



Symptoms. The symptoms will vary somewhat according to the part 

 of the gullet or throat in which the obstruction is located. In most 

 cases there is a discharge of saliva from the mouth; the animal coughs 

 frequently, and when it drinks the water is soon ejected. These symp- 

 toms, however, are not always present, as I have seen a case in which 

 a potato was lodged in the upper part of the gullet, but where there 

 was a small space between the wall of the gullet and the obstruction, 

 so that water given by the mouth passed into the stomach, and in this 

 case there was neither coughing nor any other symptom of distress. 

 The potato was so large, however, that there was not space enough to 

 pass the tip of the finger behind it so as to slide it into the pharynx, 

 though repeated efforts were made to withdraw it in this way while it 

 was simultaneously pushed from the outside in an upward direction. 

 After the lapse of several hours it passed into the stomach of itself. 



Treatment It is always ad visablo to put a gag in the animal's mouth, 

 and while the head is held in a horizontal direction by two assistants 

 to pass the hand into the pharynx, and when any foreign body is found 

 in the pharynx to withdraw it gradually and steadily. When the sub- 

 stance is lodged in the upper part of the gullet pressure should be 

 inath- by an assistant in an upward direction while the operator passes 

 his hand into the pharynx, and if the assistant can not by pressure dis- 

 lodge the substance from the gullet the operator may by passing his 

 middle finger above and partly behind the substance gradually slide 

 the object into the pharynx and then withdraw it by the mouth. It is 

 usually stated that irregular shaped objects are more difficult to manip- 

 ulate. This statement, however, is of doubtful accuracy, as a root with 

 a >mooth surface, which nearly fits the upper part of the gullet, will be 

 found extremely difficult to move from its position. The presence of 

 an obstructing substance in the cervical portion of the gullet may be 

 ascertained by passing the hand along the left side of the neck, when 

 a hard and painless swelling will IK? found to indicate the presence of the 

 foreign body. In such cases we must endeavor by gentle and persever- 

 ing pressure with the thumb and two next fingers to slide the obstruct- 

 ing substance gradually upward to the pharynx. To facilitate this it is 

 well to give the animal a wineglassful of olive oil before the manipula- 

 tions described are commenced. When the substance has been brought 

 into or nearly into the pharynx, then the month gag should be used, 

 the tongue drawn partially forward with the left hand, and the right 

 should be passed forward into the pharynx, so as to withdraw the 

 obstruction. When bran or chaff causes the trouble it is best to give a 

 -mall quantity of oil to lubricate the walls of the gullet and then by 

 gentle and persevering pressure to endeavor to separate and divide the 

 mass and then to work it downward toward the stomach. This will be 



