650 
NEEDLES SWALLOWED BY CATTLE. 
This cow had evidently swallowed the needle with her fodder : 
externally it could not by any possibility have got in, or, if it had, 
the wound caused by it could not have escaped notice. During 
rumination it was most likely forced through the diaphragm into 
the cavity of the chest, passed through the pleura costalis and the 
intercostalis muscles (fortunately without injuring the heart and 
the pericardium, or the symptoms of disease would not so quickly 
have disappeared), and made its way out. The injury done bv 
the needle to the serous tissues of the several parts through which 
it passed was, doubtless, the cause of the inflammatory symptoms 
and general suffering, as this all passed away as soon as the irri- 
tating cause had worked its passage through the chest and towards 
the outer skin. 
On the 13th of September, 1842, a woman sent for me to see 
her cow, which about fourteen days previously had, while in the 
meadow, been seized with alternate fits of shivering and fever, and 
since then had not been so lively or eaten so well as before. At 
first this shivering or ague came on once every day ; then twice ; 
and about eight days previously, symptoms of cramp began to 
accompany it. The animal declined all food which required ru- 
mination, as hay, &c., and only took meal or bran mashes, and 
these but sparingly. It was wretchedly fallen away when I saw 
it, and, lying down, its legs crossed under the chest, and leaning 
rather more to the right than to the left, in which position I was 
informed it had lain in for several days. The pulse was quick, as 
in fever ; the palpitations of the heart perceptible ; the mucous 
membranes in their natural state ; the temperature of the mouth 
rather elevated ; the ears and roots of the horns very warm ; the 
feet cold, and the respirations much accelerated. The head lay 
behind the shoulder-blade on the left side, and its weight there did 
not appear to cause any pain ; the eyes expressed suffering, and 
were drawn back into their orbits ; the dunging suppressed by 
eructations. 
It was impossible to discover whether pressure on the left side 
of the breast was productive of pain or not, since convulsions and 
cramp had come on, and the foam stood on the mouth. 
Taking into consideration the duration of the disease and the 
threatening nature of the symptoms, and fearing some affection of 
the heart, I did not attempt any treatment, but advised the woman 
to have the animal destroyed, and requesting her to let me be 
present at the opening of it. Business prevented me from 
attending at the appointed time, and on my arrival I found only 
the heart Saved for me to look at, in the left chamber of which I 
found a two-inch-long black pointed darning-needle. Around it 
