THE OX AHU liE DAIRY. 



relieved it becomes hooven ; that is, the stomach becomes 

 distended with gas, the diaphragm, and consequently the 

 lungs are oppressed, and the animal is in imminent danger. 

 Something must be done, arid done promptly. The farmer 

 knows it : he secures the head of the beast ; puts a balling- 

 iron or some rude gag in the mouth, and then forces down 

 the handle of a cart-whip, a stiff piece of cord, or a long 

 stave, in order to drive the obstructing object into the rumen. 

 This rude treatment, it is true, sometimes succeeds ; but it 

 often happens that the gullet is frightfully lacerated, and the 

 animal dies in consequence. 



Now, in these cases, if the obstructing substance be at the 

 commencement of the gullet, it may often be withdrawn by 

 the hand, the arm being defended by the ordinary balling- 

 iron. But if this is impossible, the obstruction being too 

 low down, a probang must be used. Several very ingenious 

 instruments of this kind have been invented, some with 

 screws in the end to fix into the substance, some with spring 

 forceps to grasp it ; a wooden gag being placed in the mouth 

 and there secured, having a perforation of sufficient extent to 

 allow the probang to pass through. These are no doubt ad- 

 mirable instruments in the hands of the practised veterinary 

 surgeon, but we are not so sure that they would prove success- 

 ful in the hands of the farmer, even if he possessed them. 

 They require nicety and practice in their management. 



When a skilful veterinary surgeon is not on the spot with 

 these or similar instruments, a good common probang, which 

 will not lacerate the gullet, may be readily made. A piece of 

 stout cane, between four and five feet long, must be procured, 

 or a long elastic peeled willow wand ; this must be armed at 

 the extremity with a piece of sponge, or cork, well secured, 

 and covered tightly with soft leather, so as to form an egg- 

 shaped bulb, with the broad end lowest. Lest this bulb, 

 however well secured, should by any chance slip, let both 

 ends of a piece of strong twine passed through it be wound 

 round the cane, and reach beyond the handle portion. Whale- 

 bone may be used instead of cane, but long strips of this are 

 not always to be obtained at the moment. The farmer, or 

 cattle-feeder, however, should always have a probang and an 

 oesophagus-tube in readiness. 



In some cases the obstructing substance has been found to 

 be so rigidly impacted, that its removal by any other means 

 than bv opening- the oBsoplia.erns is impossible. This ope- 



