274 
ON (ESOPHAGOTOMY IN A COW. 
addition to the usual symptoms of influenza, exhibited erysipela- 
tous inflammation with sloughing in various parts, accompanied 
by considerable congestion of the lungs, and incipient suppurative 
spots in the sub-mucous tissue of the larger air-passages. The 
cases of pneumonia, pleurisy, and bronchitis, in their usual forms, 
have been fewer in number than usual. The vesicular epizootic 
among horned cattle has again made its appearance, and it con- 
tinues to spread on all sides. It manifests itself in some stocks 
without being clearly traceable to contagion, and where there 
seems at present to be no possible communication between healthy 
and diseased animals. 
ON (ESOPHAGOTOMY IN A COW. 
By Mr. John Aked, of Heapfold , near Bury , addressed, to 
Professor Dick. 
My dear Sir, — I HAVE taken the liberty of forwarding you a 
specimen of the esophagus of a cow, on which I performed the 
operation of esophagotomy. Should you consider the case of 
sufficient merit to bring it before the Veterinary Medical Associa- 
tion of the College, I should have great pleasure in your doing so. 
The history of the case is briefly this : — On the 20th of Novem- 
ber last, a valuable short-horned cow belonging to my father, 
while eating her morning feed of sliced turnips and ground corn, 
got some portion of the same firmly impacted in the esophagus. 
On being informed that one of the cows was not well, I went to 
see her, and immediately found the cause of her not eating the 
provender to be that she was choking, and on farther examination 
I detected the obstruction in the esophagus about half-way between 
the inferior maxillary and the sternum, and which appeared to be 
a thin slice of turnip impacted on its edge. 
The symptoms not being urgent, I gave her a few hornfuls of 
mild lubricating fluid, in order, if possible, by bringing into action 
the muscular fibres of the esophagus, to dislodge the obstruction, 
and thus, without artificial aid, pass it into the stomach. The 
liquid was with some difficulty swallowed, but the sliced turnip 
remained firmly embedded in the same place. I tried manipula- 
tion by fixing the esophagus with my left hand and passing my 
right over it firmly along its course ; but this was alike ineffectual. 
As a certain resource, I tried Mr. Fuller’s improved probang, 
