21 
ULCERATION AND RUPTURE OF THE 
ABOMASUM OF A COW. 
By J. Simnel, Liverpool. 
At ten a.m., October 3d, 1856, I was called in to attend a 
heifer belonging to a gentleman of this town, which had, to 
all appearance, been in perfect health nearly up to the time 
of my being sent for. The symptoms present were, pulse 
imperceptible at the jaw, and scarcely to be felt at the heart ; 
respiration accelerated ; muzzle free from moisture, and a 
discharge of frothy saliva from the mouth ; a cold perspiration 
covered the whole surface of the body, accompanied with 
considerable distension of the rumen ; and the bowels were 
constipated. I gave aromatic spirits of ammonia, two ounces, 
in the form of a draught, and introduced a trocar into the 
rumen, which, to all appearance, relieved the animal. 1 left 
a draught containing sulphate of magnesia, to be given an 
hour afterwards, followed with plenty of gruel, and directed 
the body to be kept warmly clothed. 
At six p.m. I was sent for again in great haste, the mes- 
senger stating that the cow was dying. When I arrived I 
found all the symptoms before described greatly aggravated, 
with these in addition, viz., a total state of insensibility, and 
a discharge of blood mixed with saliva from the mouth. I 
at once ordered her to be slaughtered, as no hope of cure 
could be entertained ; but before the butcher arrived she 
expired. 
Post-mortem appearances . — On opening the abdomen, a great 
quantity of blood was found existing within the cavity, which 
on examination I found to proceed from a rupture of the 
abomasum ; the mucous lining membrane of which was very 
much inflamed, and in places ulcerated. There was also a 
considerable amount of inflammation in the mucous coat of 
the intestines. The brain was slightly congested. 
