TRACHEOTOMY IMPROVEMENTS. 
663 
croton nut, in a little warm water, to be repeated in half doses, 
until the bowels were freely opened; then gave the fever 
medicines for three or four days. They are now doing well. 
It seems rather strange that so many should be attacked with 
this malady at once ; but after inquiring into the case, I find 
they had been all grazing together, and, for some time previous, 
been nearly without water, and, the day they began, to be ill, 
had been driven about a mile to a good supply of river water. 
Query, would this produce the complaint in question? I 
should feel extremely obliged by yours, or the opinion of any 
of your correspondents. 
Yours truly, 
Nov. 7, 1854. 
p.s. — 1 might as well observe, that I saw five lying dead in 
one place, and the owner informed me another had run into 
an outhouse, and immediately died, the seventh broke its leg 
in leaping a hedge, the two remaining (of the nine) galloped 
straight away regardless of obstacles ; one died after suddenly 
stopping and turning round a few times, the other was found 
in a drain about two miles from home ; I had no opportunity 
of making a post-mortem examination, neither did I think it 
necessary, as the disease is so well known to veterinarians. 
TRACHEOTOMY — IMPROVEMENTS IN THE 
TUBE USED. 
By Francis King, M.R.C.Y.S., Stanmore, Middlesex. 
Dear Percivall, — Having had occasion, within this last few 
years, to perform the operation of tracheotomy three times, 
has induced me to send you the result of each case, if worthy 
a place in your periodical. The first was a severe case of 
strangles in a foal, with excessive inflammation and extensive 
abscesses, and, feeling sure that the little animal must be 
suffocated, I made my incision, stretched the skin back, and 
took out a portion of one of the rings, and kept the orifice 
open for about ten days, and he ultimately did extremely 
well. 
Another was a very severe case. I was not called in to see 
it in the first instance, but was sent for in a hurry (as it proved) 
at the last moment. It was a well bred colt. On going into 
the stable, I found the poor animal in great distress, being quite 
in a state of suffocation. 1 told the owner there was only one 
