LITHOTOMY IN THE HORSE. 
65 
the spasmodic action of the fore legs is considerable, and the 
head is somewhat drawn back, but the hind legs remain 
perfectly motionless. 
11*30 p.m. Pulse 110 ; he appears to be comfortable, the 
spasms having subsided. To be left undisturbed for the night. 
August 7th. — 5*30 a.m. The patient is apparently better: he 
has been quiet during the night, and once or twice has raised 
himself up and looked round as if for something to eat. A 
handful of lucerne was offered, which he ate with avidity. The 
pulse was 90 and soft ; the eye sensible to the action of light, 
but the pupil somewhat dilated ; mouth cooler ; extremities 
warm ; mucous membranes not so much congested ; and the 
breathing nearly natural. I had now some hope that the 
strychnine might act beneficially, and therefore ordered the 
dose to be repeated, combined with Hyd. Chlor., ^ss, 
and to be administered in thick gruel. About two hours 
afterwards, all my hopes were unfortunately frustrated, as my 
patient, in making a violent effort to rise, in which he 
nearly succeeded, fell heavily down, with his head twisted 
under the neck, and died almost immediately. 
The post-mortem examination, which was undertaken 
forthwith, showed that the whole of the digestive viscera 
w ? ere perfectly healthy. On opening the thorax, however, I 
found the lungs to be considerably congested, w hich w T as pro- 
bably caused in part by the length of time the patient had been 
recumbent. The heart was healthy. On laying open the 
cranial cavity, a quantity of serum escaped, probably from tw o 
to three ounces ; but the brain, with the exception of a slight 
tinge of redness, presented a healthy appearance. It was 
found, how 7 ever, to be rather softer than natural, and the vessels 
at its base were likewise distended with dark coloured blood. 
The spinal cord, as far as the first lumbar vertebra, w^as 
apparently unaffected, but from thence to the coccyx intense 
inflammation existed. This state of the parts sufficiently 
accounted for the paralysis which existed during life. I 
regret that I was unable to make a more minute examination • 
but the intense heat of the weather, and 68 patients in 
hospital requiring attendance prevented me. 
CASE OF LITHOTOMY IN THE HORSE. 
By John Field, M.R.C.Y.S., London. 
Lithotomy, although now-a-days not perhaps a very rare 
operation in the horse, is still one so seldom brought to 
