355 
A SUPPOSED CASE OF DEATH IN A HORSE FROM 
TUBERCULATED AFFECTION OF THE LUNGS. 
5th May, 1844. 
I AM sorry to trespass on your time, but if you have a few mi- 
nutes to spare, I should be much obliged to you for your opinion on 
the following case. It is one that, perhaps, will end in litigation, 
and it is very likely that you may be called on for your opinion. 
A grey gelding was bought at the late Gifford fair by Messrs. 
Ritchie and Sons, and, of course, warranted sound. He was found 
to have great difficulty in breathing when put to work, which was 
drawing the clay mill. It was very easy work for a horse of his 
size. The collar was altered several times in order to give him 
relief. He always had a cough after drinking. 
After they had him for a short time, he exhibited a slight sore 
throat, for which a mild liquid blister was applied, and a laxative 
ball, with two or three days’ rest, when he recovered, and got as 
well as before ; but still the difficulty of breathing when drawing 
remained. 
Eight days ago I was sent for in a great hurry, as “ the horse 
was dying.” I found him in such a state with flatulent colic that 
he had to be taken out of the stable, to prevent his injuring him- 
self, to a straw stack, where he might roll about in safety. He 
was much swelled; but in addition to the appearance of colic, 
there was a considerable discharge of very offensive white matter 
from the nose, which poured out in great quantities whenever he 
stood with his head down. 
I used the ordinary remedies for colic with success ; but the 
discharge from the nose continued. In addition to this a con- 
siderable enlargement appeared anterior to the point of the sternum, 
ascending half way up the trachea, evidently containing a fluid. 
This increasing so as to threaten suffocation, I opened it, when 
about a quart of matter escaped of the same kind as that which 
was flowing from the nose. 
Inflammation of the lungs came on, or rather the irritation of the 
fluid in the bronchial tubes caused it, and he died on the sixth 
day. The discharge from the lungs always continued — running 
in great quantities when the head was held down. In the end, it 
was evident that the lungs were broken down, as large clots were 
discharged before death. 
My opinion on the case was, that, taking into account the great 
difficulty in breathing, and the coughing when the stomach was 
filled, &c., there had been an abscess in the lungs, the consequence 
