448 
DEATH CAUSED BY PHYSICKING. 
Post-mortem examination. — The epiglottis and villous lining 
of the stomach very highly inflamed, as also the mucous 
membrane lining the large and small intestines, particularly 
the former, the membrane of which peeled off readily with 
the fingers, as did also the villous coat of the stomach ; the 
liver was a little broken down in texture; kidneys sound. 
The respiratory organs normal, with the exception of a slight 
blush on a portion of the mucous lining of the trachea, and 
the points of the lobes of the lung a little inflamed ; the heart 
sound, one of the valves contained a large clot of serum. 
History of the case . — It appears, from what I was informed, 
that this horse was attacked some few days before with a 
slight swelling in one of his forelegs, that a blacksmith was 
called in, who bled him from the arm, and afterwards gave 
him some diuretic drenches. On Sunday, the 2d ult., {up to 
which time he fed well , and was in good spirits ,) he got a ball, 
containing 3yj of aloes, b.b., and fourteen drops of croton 
oil, which ball was given on the point of a stick : in a short 
time after, the horse began to slaver at the mouth, became 
very restless and ill, refusing all food, and the bowels not 
acted on, until he died on Tuesday morning. 
From the appearances presented by the epiglottis, stomach, 
and bowels, particularly the coecum and colon, and the ab- 
sence of any symptom (until the administration of the ball 
on Sunday) of gastric or intestinal irritation, and the general 
health, of the horse being good, with the exception of the 
slight oedematous swelling of the foreleg, it was my opinion 
that the ball (which contained aloes quantum sufficit , without 
the addition of the croton oil) was the cause of death. 
July 18 , 1854 . « 
*** The same is the opinion of the Editor. 
