Esophagitis. Inflammation of the Gullet. 89 



may be covered with pus or foetid debris. In the horse a small 

 probang may be passed through the nose. 



Treatment. In a slight congestion at the seat of a recent 

 obstruction and which tends to renewed obstruction, little more 

 is necessary than to restrict the feed for a few days to soft mashes 

 so that irritation of the sensitive surface, spasm and the arrest 

 •of the morsel may be obviated. Plenty of pure water or of well 

 boiled linseed or other gruel should be allowed. 



In cases in which the obstruction is still present in the gullet, 

 its removal by probang or looped wire is the first consideration, 

 to be followed by the measures mentioned above. 



In case of the swallowing of a caustic agent, no time should 

 be lost in giving an antidote. For the mineral or caustic organic 

 acids, lime water, magnesia, or other bland basic agent is de- 

 manded. For caustic alkalies or basic agents, bland acids, 

 such as vinegar, citric acid, or even a mineral acid very largely 

 diluted will be in order. In both these cases and in that of 

 caustic salts, albuminous and mucilaginous agents, eggs, linseed 

 tea, slippery elm, gums, and well boiled gruels are indicated. 

 To these may be added small doses of laudanum when the 

 irritation is great. Iced drinking water, iced milk, or iced 

 gruels are often soothing to the suffering animal, and cold com- 

 presses, snow or ice applied along the jugular furrow is often 

 valuable. To counteract the septic developments on the affected 

 mucous membrane, chlorate of potash, boric acid, salol, naphtha- 

 lin, naphthol, pyoktannin, or even weak solutions of phenic 

 acid or creolin may be used. In the slighter forms of inflamma- 

 tion or when the acute form threatens to persist, an active 

 counter-irritant of mustard or cantharides may be applied along 

 the jugular furrow. 



In case of abscess, as manifested by fluctuation following a 

 hard, indurated, painful swelling, a free incision should be fol- 

 lowed by frequent injections of antiseptic lotions or by the 

 packing of the cavity with such bland antiseptics as salol, boric 

 acid, or iodoform on cotton. 



As inflammation subsides, potassium iodide may be given, both 

 as an antiseptic and a resolvent, to counteract the tendency to 

 iibroid contraction and stricture of the gullet. 



