FATAL CASES OF DISEASE. 
249 
advance the science of veterinary pathology. All of them 
having been hopeless from the time I first saw them, I have 
not thought it worth while to fill up the pages of your Journal 
with the treatment I had recourse to in each particular case. 
I am, gentlemen, 
Yours respectfully. 
Case I. Acute Inflammation of the Stomachs and 
Intestines in a Cow. — June 4th, 1855. — The subject, a 
7 years old milking cow, was apparently well at the milking 
time in the morning, at 5 o’clock. At 6 a.m., when going 
from the yard into the pasture field, she laid down and purged 
violently. I first saw her at 5 p.m. She was then lying 
down in a state of stupor, quite exhausted ; no pulse could 
be felt, and she was evidently fast sinking. 
I ascertained that she had been in this state since noon, 
and had vpided large quantities of liquid faecal matter, mixed 
with coagulated blood. She died at 6 p.m. 
Sectio cadaveris . — Rumen distended with gas and partially 
digested food. The lining membrane of this, as well as the 
other stomachs was highly inflamed. The whole of the in- 
testines were thoroughly black, and almost putrefied. They 
contained liquid faecal matter of a very offensive character, 
mingled with blood. The minute blood-vessels of the villous 
coats were in a state of congestion. The liver was enlarged, 
scirrhous, and hepatized, the small lobe excepted. The gall- 
bladder w 7 as full of bile. The cause of disease was uncertain. 
The animal w r as supposed to have picked up some deleterious 
herb in the field. 
Case II. Abscess contiguous to the Umbilicus in 
a Foal. — The subject was a half-bred foal, three weeks old. 
On June 7th, 1855, he was visited by me, according to 
request. He is dull, breathing and pulse quickened, sucks 
but little, and a discharge of matter takes place from the 
umbilicus. 
I treated the case as the symptoms required, and the 
animal continued much the same until June 10th, w 7 hen the 
most fearful symptoms came on. He rolled about terrifically, 
the pulse and breathing were exceedingly quick, and he died 
in the evening. 
Post-mortem appearances , — A large abscess was found, situa- 
ted between the urachus and the peritoneum, near the um- 
bilicus. Serous effusion had taken place between the low 7 er 
and posterior part of the abdominal muscles, w hich were very 
much thickened. Two cysts w 7 ere attached to the bowels. 
