Post-mortem Examination 117 
POST-MORTEM EXAMINATION 
It is frequently important to examine the body of 
an animal in order to discover the cause of death, 
whether from accident or disease, and to determine the 
nature of the disease. In order to determine any ab- 
normal condition of the organs, a person familiar with 
the appearance of the organs in health should make 
the examination. A post-mortem examination should 
be made as soon as possible after death, as changes 
resulting from decomposition of the body or contents 
of the digestive system soon occur, and these changes 
are likely to mislead an inexperienced person. ‘Rigor 
mortis,” or death-stiffening, usually begins soon after 
death, varying from one-half hour to twenty-four hours. 
It lasts, on an average, about thirty hours; then the 
muscles become softer and signs of decomposition soon 
follow. 
The first thing to be observed in post-mortem exam- 
ination is the position of the body, provided it has 
not been moved. Sometimes animals become “cast,” 
or lie down in such positions that they are unable to 
get up without assistance, and then die. In other 
cases they may be caught in ropes, mangers or stan- 
ehions and injured sufficiently to cause death. Signs 
of struggling should be looked for, especially if poi- 
soning is suspected. Malicious poisoning of stock, while 
frequently suspected, is extremely rare, except among 
dogs and eats. The two poisons most frequently used 
with malicious intent are strychnine and arsenic. When 
strychnine is used the animal dies in convulsions, and 
