64 THE farmer's veterinarian 



The appearance of the struggle, however, is not 

 enough to establish a case of poisoning; for strug- 

 gling is a death characteristic of many diseases. Of 

 course, in making this preliminary examination you 

 will note if death could have been the result of some 

 other reason. Has some obstruction had anything 

 to do with the trouble? Maybe the animal has 

 been caught in some way and not being able to 

 move about has starved to death, or maybe some 

 over-exertion has had something to do with the 

 trouble. 



Many animals choke, and, not being able to 

 relieve themselves, die. Thousands of farm 

 animals, especially in the West and Southwest, die 

 annually from cold, and not a few from heat. All 

 these things enter into the case and must be con- 

 sidered in reaching a reasonable conclusion. 



Observe the Discharges. — The next thing to do 

 is to observe the discharges from nose, mouth and 

 other natural openings of the body. External scars 

 and wounds often bear a close relation to the dis- 

 ease and these should be considered in examining 

 the carcass. How do the eyes look? Is there a 

 discharge from the ears? Is the swelling of the 

 abdomen and the bloating more pronounced or dif- 

 ferent than should be the case in ordinary death? 

 Practice will indicate the lesson that each of these 

 teach. 



Accidents and Injury. — Farm animals are often 

 killed by stray shots from the guns of hunters and 

 trespassers. A casual observation will indicate if 

 death has been due to this. Again, animals may 

 die from distemper or be eaten up with lice or 

 troubled with itch or mange — you will note these 

 facts as you go along with your work. 



