IRREGULAR STRANGLES. 
141 
opened and treated secundum artem ; and now for a fortnight 
all went merry as “a marriage bell; 5 ’ when, on Monday last, 
13th instant, I received a summons to attend, “for the colt 
was again taken ill ;” that about six o’clock that morning he 
was feeding well, and seemed anxious for food, and appeared 
quite well, when suddenly he reared up, broke the halter, fell 
backwards, and could not afterwards rise. 
I found him in this state : total inability to rise ; convulsive 
twitchings about different parts of the body ; the limbs are 
suddenly stretched out and quiver violently ; extremities of 
their natural temperature ; eyes amaurotic ; cornea shrivelled, 
and of a leaden colour; conjunctival and Schneiderian mem- 
branes natural; at times the breathing becomes quickened, 
otherwise the respiration is only 7 per minute, and stertorous ; 
respiratory murmur nearly natural ; the head is sometimes 
raised, and thrown either upon the side or elsewhere, like a 
log of wood ; the lower jaw hangs pendulous. I informed 
the owner that it was a cerebral affection ; that I believed that 
an abscess or abscesses had formed upon the brain ; that he 
might live for a few days ; but that the case was quite hopeless. 
The owner being desirous of something being done for him, 
the head was being raised for that purpose, when an enormous 
abscess burst and discharged itself through the left nostril. 
This did not relieve him ; nor did a dose of purgative medicine, 
&c. ; for he expired on the evening of the 13th instant, re- 
maining up to that period in the same state as when I first 
saw him. 
I extremely regret that I cannot give a more minute and 
accurate description of the post-mortem appearances than are 
here appended ; but I was prevented from doing so by a 
Mr. Smith , who devotes more of his time to the jolly god than 
is consistent with his professional avocation, (he styles him- 
self professional upon his cards — “ Smith, Horse Sergent, 
Farrier, Cow Leech, and Castrator;”) this professional, who 
has lately emerged from under the care of our worthy governor 
of the county prison (for debt), and being now upon “ the 
look out for a job,” taking advantage of Mr. Bud’s absence, 
went and inquired of the servants where the colt was, and my 
opinion concerning it; he “opened it,’’ declared nothing to be 
the matter with the head, for he had “ cut it right through,” 
and must have seen it; but that his “ liver and lights were 
rotten ; but if he had seen him in time he could have “ kured 
him,” “ safe to have kured him.” 
And thus, Sir, was I deprived of inspectio cadaveris , as anti- 
cipated. 
Only half of the brain had escaped the hand of the “ pro- 
xxvii. 19 
