OBSERVATIONS ON METEORIZATXON IN THE HORSE. 519 
At length, this current was on a sudden interrupted, on 
account of the canula being so short that it slipped out of the 
gut as soon as the latter came to subside and retire from 
proximity with the parietes. This first result obtained by 
puncture proving insufficient, we were compelled to renew 
the operation. A first incision was made through the skin 
in a part of the flank nearer to the lumbar vertebrae, and 
again the trocar was plunged through the abdominal muscles 
in a direction nearly parallel with the transverse lumbar 
processes. In this way the instrument penetrated the most 
prominent part of the caecal arch, and at a point where the 
retraction of the gut was not to be feared so much to alter 
the parallelism between the aperture through the gut and 
that through the skin. This gave issue to a prolonged 
flow of gaseous fluids having a repulsive odour ; and with 
the efflux the parietes gradually lost their distension, and the 
respiration became fuller and freer. The canule was retained 
in the aperture until the current of gas ceased, and then was 
withdrawn. The belly had now recovered its former di- 
mensions and suppleness. 
The horse was relieved. His countenance had changed for 
the better; but his pulse was depressed and his skin cold. 
In order to produce re-action, his body was ordered to be 
enveloped in two cloths dipped in cold water ; and over that 
to be placed six dry cloths, and he was to be left to himself 
in a stable made hot. In twenty minutes a very strong 
re-action had become established in the skin ; the hands 
introduced underneath the cloths experienced great heat ; 
the pulse had recovered its fulness, and with it the peristaltic 
action of the intestines had become restored ; for the animal 
now continually passed gas and excrementitious solid matters. 
From this moment all colicky symptoms disappeared. 
Now, however, that all apprehension from gaseous indi- 
gestion was over, there remained behind such as might arise 
as consequences of the operation, among which the chief was 
peritonitis . To meet this, bloodletting was practised, and a 
large sinapism put upon his belly. The next morning, the 
horse appeared in full spirits, drawing his provender out of 
his rack ; and the quantity of accumulated faecal matters he 
had evacuated showed the canal to be perfectly free. On the 
eleventh day after his admission, he returned to his master 
quite recovered. — Rec. de Med. Vet., March , 1853. 
