230 The Farmer's Veterinary Adviser. 



tion, but in addition there is in the groove on the left side 

 of the neck, a diffuse soft yielding swelling, provided the 

 obstruction is situated above the chest. 



Treatment. Sharp-pointed bodies lodged in the throat 

 must be carefully sought for and extracted. Solid objecls 

 in this region can usually be withdrawn with the hand. 

 Have the animal held with the head elevated into a line 

 with the neck and the mouth held open with a balling 

 iron ; then the tongue being drawn out with the left hand, 

 the right is passed through the mouth into the throat and 

 the middle finger hooked over the offending body so as 

 to withdraw it. If lodged still lower it may often be 

 worked up into the throat by pressure beneath it with one 

 hand in each furrow along the lower border of the neck. 

 A vigorous jerk at the last seconded by the action of the 

 pharynx wiU often lodge it in the mouth, but if not it is 

 easily extracted as above advised. 



Should this fail and tympany prove threateniag lose no 

 time in gagging the animal. A smooth roller of wood 

 two inches in diameter is tied into the mouth by cords 

 carried from its ends around the top of the head — ^behind 

 the horns in cattle. Swelling never increases dangerously 

 with this applied, and in a few hours the obstruction 

 usually passes on. 



More prompt relief may be obtained by using a probang 

 of leather or other material with a spiral spring wire in- 

 ternally, the whole two-thirds of an inch in diameter, six 

 feet long, and with one end enlarged to one and a half 

 inches in diameter and cup-shaped. This is oiled and 

 the head having been brought into a hne with the neck, 

 the balling iron introduced and the tongue drawn out, 

 the cup-shaped end is introduced and pushed on until the 

 obstruction is reached. Steady pressure must be kept up 

 on this for a few seconds, when it wiU yield and should be 

 passed into the stomach by introducing the probang to its 

 whole length. If it resists leave the animal for an hour 

 or two gagged, and try again. In the horse the probang 



