166 LACERATION OF THE (ESOPHAGUS. 



LACEEATION OF THE (ESOPHAGUS. 



This is the most untoward accident which may occur, 

 especially when efforts are being made to relieve an animal 

 choking. Hertwig refers to a case observed in a filly, in 

 which the gullet was punctured by a needle, and this pierced 

 the carotid artery, from which fatal haemorrhage ensued. I 

 believe such a case to be singular in the annals of veterinary 

 surgery ; but lacerations interfering with important structures 

 in the neck are very common. 



Symptoms. The rupture occurs most frequently in the 

 neck portion of the gullet, and during the passage of a pro- 

 bang, so that as the latter appears to overcome the obstacle, 

 the swelling increases rather than diminishes; and when the 

 animal is allowed water to drink or food to eat, the pouch 

 formed outside the oesophagus becomes distended, and swell- 

 ing occurs, with a tendency to increase downwards, from the 

 ofravitation of the fluid in the areolar tissue. These oedema- 

 tous swellings, which indicate the rupture, point also to a 

 clanger of materials penetrating the chest, and inducing in- 

 flammation and suppuration within the thorax. In some 

 instances the pouches formed externally to the rupture be- 

 come enormously distended, and are relieved of their contents 

 by the movements of the animal's neck or by pressure. 

 This depends much on the shape and size of the wound. I 

 have not found that wounds in the oesophagus are difficult 

 to heal, though, if they are much torn, and there is loss of 

 substance, the animal may afterwards suffer from stricture 

 of the tube. 



Treatment. The rule to follow in all these cases is to 

 expose the wound in the gullet by a free incision into the 

 pouch formed by the food. Indeed, from the treatment 

 recommended for dilatation of the gullet, it will be under- 



