Diseases of the Digestive Organs. 



141 



Fig. 19. 



plants. It may be caused by overloading the stomach 

 with sound fodder, by the presence of hair-balls and other 

 foreign bodies in the stomach, by fever, choking, stricture 

 or parasites in the gullet, tuberculosis, etc. 



Symptoms. Swelling of the whole left 

 side of the belly, often rising above the 

 level of the hips and backbone, tense and 

 elastic recoiling at once when pressed in, 

 and drum-like on percussion. There is 

 great difficulty of breathing, distended nos- 

 trils, bloodshot eyes, open mouth, driveling 

 of saliva, occasional belching of gas with 

 loud noise, and fi-equent passage of dung 

 and urine. The patient stands to the last 

 and falls to die with ruptured diaphragm, 

 or stomach, congested lungs and profound 

 nervous shock. 



Treatment. Gagging is alleged to suc- 

 ceed as in choking, but I have not tried 

 it. Dashing a bucket of cold water on the 

 body may give temporary relief by condens- 

 ing the gas and favoring eructation. The 

 hollow probang passed into the stomach 

 as for choking will allow the escape of 

 the gas. In urgent cases the paunch 

 must be punctured with the first instru- 

 ment that comes to hand, and the open- 

 ings in the stomach and the skin kept in 

 apposition until the gas flows out. The 

 most suitable instrument is a cannula and 

 trocar at least six inches long which may 

 be plunged without fear into the left side in a 

 downward and inward direction, from a 

 Fig. 19 -Trocar and point equidistant from the hip bone, the 

 cannula. j^g^ ^-^ ^^^ ^.j^g lateral processes of the 



backbone. The trocar being withdrawn the cannula 

 may be tied in and left for hours or days. In the absence 



