OF VETERINARY MEDICINE. 33 



4. Breathing labored. 



5. Cold sweat usually bedews the body. 



In such a death the post mortem will show more or less 

 cyanosis of all the organs, but especially of the lungs. There 

 is general passive congestion. The blood turns black from the 

 excess of carbon dioxide and from the decrease of oxygen. In 

 the human, the face would be black, but a horse does not show 

 cyanosis in his face. 



Death by interruption of the brain and nervous system is 

 called COMA. A comatose condition is one of stupor, insensi- 

 bility, and unconsciousness. When an animal dies from coma, 

 the symptoms are as follows : 



1. Prone on the ground. 



2. Insensible. 



3. Pulse slow — decreased in frequency 



way- below normal. 



4. Breathing slow and stertorous: slow, 



deep, irregular breathing and in some 

 cases snoring, is always present in 

 coma. 

 At the approach of death, the breathing keeps getting slower 

 and more irregular, the pulse the same although it may con- 

 tinue to beat after respirations have stopped. In this con- 

 dition of death the brain loses its irritability; the other organs 

 are in normal condition. 



When it does not pay to treat an animal, the veterinarian 

 is expected to destroy it and this he must know how to do. The 

 quickest and most painless method of killing is to shoot the 

 animal through the fourth ventricle. An animal can lose nearly 

 the whole of his cerebrum, large portions of his cerebellum 

 without dying, but not the medulla. 



HOW TO KILL A HORSE. 



First, fill the gun with sufficient powder to drive the bullet 

 through the cranium of the horse; a 22-calibre revolver will not 

 do it. We use a 44-calibre gun, barrel about a foot long. Use 

 long cartridges. 



