INFLAMMATION OF THE GULLET. 167 



stood that any, sometimes mysterious, diverticula or pouches 

 formed along the course of the oesophagus should be laid 

 open. When this is done, if the wound is large, it must be 

 neatly pared, and its edge drawn together by silver wire 

 sutures. The external wound should not be closed, though 

 its lips may be held together by sutures. The operator must 

 obtain healing from within outwards, or the skin may close 

 over a fistula in the canal. To obtain this, the animal must 

 be kept from all solid food for at least a week or a fortnight, 

 and indeed until the wound in the gullet is closed. Gruel, 

 milk, linseed tea, and in fact any sloppy material capable of 

 supporting the animal, should be allowed, but not a particle 

 of dry or fibrous food. It may be necessary to dress the 

 wound occasionally with astringents or caustics. 



INFLAMMATION OF THE GULLET. 



This is one of the very rare forms of disease characterised 

 by painful swelling and tenderness on pressure in the course 

 of the gullet. It is apt to occur after cases of choking, and 

 indeed ulceration may ensue, which may favour the disten- 

 tion of the oesophagus by any liquids swallowed, and conse- 

 quent dilatation. Such ulceration I have before referred 

 to, and my attention was especially called to it by that most 

 intelligent veterinarian, Mr Charles Hunting, South Hetton 

 Collieries. As a very remarkable case under this head, 

 I may refer the reader to the foot-note for a case first pub- 

 lished in the Edinburgh Veterinary Review for June, 

 1861* 



* On Monday, the 22nd of April, 1861, Mr Hunting was requested 

 to visit a very valuable two-year-old bay colt, by the celebrated 

 horse "Nonpareil," which was said to be choked the property of 

 W. Forster, Esq. When he arrived, the following history of the case 

 was given him by the farm steward: About a year ago, when the colt 



