VOMITING. 153 



College, in a horse which vomited during the paroxysms of a 

 violent attack of colic. This horse recovered. The late Mr 

 John Field relates a very interesting case * of vomiting from 

 distention of the stomach and spasm of the duodenum. 



* At page 85 of his Veterinary Records, we find-: "About one 

 o'clock in the morning of the 21st September, 1839, a bay cart- 

 gelding, belonging to Messrs R , was seized with retching, having 

 been at work till very nearly that time drawing goods from the 

 railway station, Euston Square. I saw him about twelve hours after- 

 wards, when the following symptoms presented themselves : viz., pulse 

 84 to 90, and very feeble haggard countenance respiration but little 

 disturbed surface warm mouth moist and clean much foster from 

 the nostrils, with frequent ejection of dirty fluid, attended with much 

 moaning, but unaccompanied by any particular effort or retching, 

 although much spasmodic contraction of the neck had attended the 

 earlier vomiting. 



" Percussion of the sides gave loud resonance ; but there was no 

 audible murmur, much less any purulent or mucous rattle, although 

 the fcetor indicated abscesses or purulent secretion in the air-cells. 

 There was no rolling, looking back, or other indication of abdominal 

 disease. 



" A blister was applied to the breast, and plugs were inserted, and 

 subsequently, the probang was introduced ; but it was not readily passed 

 beyond the lower part of the oesophagus, where it brought on retching. 



" During the day and night the horse continued to take water, was 

 constantly dabbling in it, while from time to time that which he took 

 was rejected by retching, and there was regurgitation of fluid in the 

 oesophagus in the intervals between the vomitings. He was restless 

 during the night, but he did not look back. He kept on his legs until 

 eight o'clock on the following morning, when he lay down, and, after a 

 few expiratory efforts, died. 



"Post-mortem, examination. On removing the sternum from the 

 thorax, the odour precisely corresponded to what was emitted from the 

 trachea. The lungs were remarkably bulky, but crepitant throughout, 

 except at the anterior and inferior fringed edges of both, where small 

 spots of hepatized lung were observed, containing very small points of 

 pus. Some ulcers in the air-cells. The bronchial tubes were filled 



