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- 

 chions 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 cats. The two poisons most frequently used 

 with malicious intent are strychnine and arsenic. When 

 strychnine is used the animal dies in convulsions, and 



