ON GESOPHAGOTOMY IN A COW. 275 
which, as you are well aware, consists of three parts connected 
together with brass hoops and steel-cap ends. 
I carefully passed the smaller cap-end into the stomach, but 
without removing the obstruction, the tube having passed between 
the turnip and esophagus. I then passed the larger cap-end, and 
on getting in contact with the obstruction, I was enabled by a 
little extra force to push it into the stomach ; but, on attempting to 
withdraw the probang, owing to the insecure manner in which one 
of the brass hoops was fastened to the leather tube, it came off, 
leaving one part in the esophagus, the end of which I could dis- 
tinctly feel with the point of my finger in the esophagus, about a 
foot from the pharynx. Having no alternative in this dilemma, I 
determined without delay to perform esophagotomy, and, two men 
simply holding the halter which was about her head, I with a 
scalpel made a bold and deep incision, about five inches in length, 
along the inferior border of the jugular vein, and, after fixing the 
lips of the wound apart with the dissecting hooks, I carefully dis- 
sected through the cellular tissue, guarding against the carotid 
artery and pneumogasfric and sympathetic and recurrent nerves, 
which are enveloped in the cellular substance by the side of the 
trachea. Having thus laid bare the esophagus, I made a puncture 
in it on the end of the probang. I then introduced a probed-pointed 
bistoury between the tube and esophagus, and made an incision 
into the esophagus three inches long, which enabled me to lay hold 
of and extract the tube with little difficulty. A large quantity of 
mucus, mingled with blood and half-masticated food, was afterwards 
ejected out of the wound. This I carefully sponged out, and 
brought the edges together with interrupted sutures of silk thread, 
and placed upon it a compress and roller. I then had her taken to 
her stall and her head tied up. In the evening a little gruel was 
offered her, which she freely drank, also a few quarts of bran mash, 
which she ate without the least particle of either escaping by the 
wound: neither did there afterwards appear to be the least dif- 
ficulty in swallowing any thing that was given to her. With respect 
to constitutional treatment, nothing at all was done, there being 
little or no fever present- 
My prognosis with regard to the healing of the wound was, 
that it would not unite by the adhesive inflammation ; but in order 
to favour so desirable a termination, I did not use any dressings 
or fomentations in the first instance ; but seeing that inflammation 
was going on to such extent that it must terminate in suppuration, 
I had her neck frequently fomented with hot water. In about a 
week the sutures gave way, and the wound assumed an unhealthy 
aspect. The part was freely syringed with a solution of the 
chloride of lime, when, after some little sloughing of the edges of the 
