734 
ON THE HOOVE IN CATTLE. 
When I arrived I found the following symptoms: — The paunch 
greatly distended, the extremities cold, the eyes dull, a continual 
short cough, pulse small and weak, bowels constipated, the fre- 
quent voiding of small quantities of urine, and many other symp- 
toms of common hoove. I had recourse to the probang and the 
trochar, but to no avail. I then administered, in succession, the 
following medicaments, allowing a sufficient time to elapse be- 
tween each in order to see how they would act : — 
I first exhibited four scruples of the calcide of lime in water, but 
the size of the rumen was not at all reduced. I then gave liq. 
ammon. §ij, diluted with water, with the same success. 
I next administered a strong dose of cathartic medicine, had 
the animal removed into a loose box with plenty of clean straw, 
and ordered a woollen cloth to be thrown over her, and left her. 
I attended her early on the following morning, and not only 
found her no better, but still weaker, and, indeed, very ill. I repeated 
the cathartic medicine, and ordered her a little warm gruel. 
I went on the following day, but still found the paunch larger, and 
every symptom of approaching suffocation. The medicine had not the 
slightest effect : the rumen was charged as full as it was possible 
for it to be with grass, hay, and sour grains, which the owner had 
procured from the brewery a few days previous, and of which the 
patient had eaten freely. 
I now found that there was no other remedy but opening the 
paunch and emptying the contents with my hand. I therefore in- 
formed the owner that I had done all I could besides the operation 
just mentioned, of which I had told him on the preceding day. 
He was, however, still quite averse to it, for he was assured 
that the operation must certainly kill the cow, as she was so 
far gone in calf. He requested me to give her more medicine ; 
I told him it was of no use and that I would do nothing more. I 
then left him. 
On the next morning I was called upon again to visit the same 
cow. I attended, and found her in a miserable condition. Her 
extremities were deathy cold, her ears pendulous, the tongue 
hanging out of the mouth, a considerable discharge of frothy sa- 
liva, every breath a groan, the rumen as large as it well could be, 
and a slight discharge of gas oozing out of the incision I had pre- 
viously made in her flank ; in fact, there was every symptom of 
fast approaching death. 
Mr. Jackson, the owner, then told me that I might act as I thought 
proper, for he was sure the beast would die in spite of every 
thing I could do. However, not discouraged by the very seri- 
ous symptoms which had now appeared, I immediately made an 
opening into the flank and rumen about six inches long, and out 
