431 
CASES OF STRANGLES, ETC. 
succumb to the iron, were ligatured, a compress of iron placed 
in the gap, the skin drawn together, she was released. The • 
excised portion weighed 2lb. 4oz. Mild dressings were used 
for a week or two, when I perceived the tumour forming again 
on one side— filling up much too fast, — it was seared down 
two or three times at the time the dressings were applied : 
when the discharge had somewhat subsided I could plainer 
see that we had also a rather strong salivary discharge, par- 
ticularly when eating. By Christmas it was nearly healed, but 
not completely so for some two or three months after, when 
by the time the long hairs had grown there was not a trace 
left behind. She worked regular, and went on right, with the 
exception of not looking quite so well as her fellows. In 
February, 1852, I see she had some tonic balls. On the 19 th 
of March I was sent for to her for colic, and informed that she 
had had an attack two or three weeks previously which passed 
off without anything, yet the mare did badly; this time, after 
waiting several hours to see if the pain would go off again, 
I was summoned with all speed ; the usual remedies were used 
with the exception of bleeding, which she could not bear, 
without any permanent relief. I told the owner that I feared 
some old disease, partly from her low condition, probably 
abscesses in the intestines, and she could not recover ; she 
lingered until the 22d. I opened her, on cutting through 
the abdominal muscles, at first sight nothing unusual pre- 
sented, no marks of inflammatory action ; on further search we 
found in the mesentery and partly attached to the intestine a 
large abscess, which, on being cut open, proved to be, I may 
say, a dozen or more, in all stages, some hard as cheese and 
quite dry, others curdy, one, the largest, contained about three 
pints of pus, which was gradually emptying itself through a 
small hole into the intestine to which it was attached ; it was 
beautiful to see how, time after time, when they were ready 
to burst, nature had thrown strong coverings around, and 
thus secured them from being evacuated into the abdominal 
cavity, — the whole mess when taken out filled a bucket. True 
there is nothing new or novel in this case, yet like iEsop’s 
Fables it is not without its moral. Your very useful work is 
not likely at present to be read by many of this class of our 
employers, by that means to do any good, but may we not be 
warned not to do too much at times, and, as Professor Spooner 
was wont to say, whatever we did, be careful not to do harm. 
At the close of last year I had a puzzling case. An aged mare, 
a good sort, of the old post breed, and bloody, belonging to a 
knacker* in this place, who had seen many better days. On 
* John Lawman. 
