180 ACCOUNT OF SWALLOWING OF AN EGG AND OF A STICK. 
particular in excluding the air. The wound continued to heal 
gradually day by day, and the cow is now perfectly recovered, 
but her secretion of milk ceased gradually. 
AN ACCOUNT OF THE SWALLOWING OF AN EGG, 
AND OF A STICK. 
By Mr. J. Osborne, Ashborne. 
The following case, although not attended with any serious con- 
sequences, may be, in some degree, the means of dispensing with 
that cruel habit of administering unbroken eggs to the horse, in 
order to improve him for the chase, or, to use to owner’s words, 
“ make him long-winded.” 
It is that of a bay mare, belonging to a young sportsman. On 
the 12th January he had given her an egg, which she did not ap- 
pear to swallow as usual ; but immediately commenced coughing, 
and, in fact, presented every symptom of being choaked, the shell 
having broken. The owner, being much alarmed, sent her to Mr. 
Cope, resolved to give no more eggs. 
The probang being well wrapped with tow, we proceeded to 
remove the shell ; but' from the edges adhering so closely to the 
mucous coat of the oesophagus, great difficulty was experienced in 
so doing. At length, however, we succeeded in removing the 
obstacle, but not without first damaging the mucous membrane, 
which ultimately caused inflammation of the lungs : however, with 
the usual treatment, the mare soon recovered. 
Having heard of a similar case which proved fatal, the patient’s 
life was feared. After all the usual means had been tried, oeso- 
phagotomy was resorted to ; but as the exact situation of the shell 
could not be found, the horse died. 
In order to fill up my letter, I will state the following singular 
case : — 
A pig, belonging to my father, was fed in the usual way. 
About a month prior to the time of killing, he was observed not 
to feed so well, and looked much thinner ; but as he regained his 
appetite in the course of a fortnight, little was thought of it. 
At the end of the month he was killed. On taking out the inside, 
a hazel-stick, eighteen inches in length and one and a half in cir- 
cumference, was found in the stomach and duodenum, which it had 
perforated at several places, without any mischief from the escape 
of excrement : two inches only of the stick now remained in the 
stomach. Its whole length was firm, and not in the least decayed. 
The stick is preserved as a curiosity. 
