THE EDINBURGH VETERINARY COLLEGE. 43 
then consulted a smith with whom he was acquainted. The smith 
immediately applied a smart blister, and in a few days repeated it. 
The consequence was, that the inflammatory action already existing 
in the part, and to which cattle are so liable, was increased to such 
an extent, that matter formed internally, and in gaining exit had 
exposed the articidation and tendon. As the beast was in good con- 
dition, and there being considerable constitutional irritation, which, 
if the animal were kept under treatment, would cause her to lose 
flesh and much deteriorate her \alue, the owner came to the con- 
clusion to destroy her, as he was informed that, if recovery did 
take place, the time to ensure it would be considerable. 
It will be seen that pleuro-pneumonia, among neat cattle, has 
been prevalent during November. The characters that it dis- 
plays do not, except in some cases, differ from those which it has 
shewn in other parts of the country where it has for a longer 
period raged as a destructive epizootic. The cases that have 
come under notice, and have been marked by symptoms somewhat 
different from those of the usual epizootic pleuro-pneumonia, were 
characterized by there being in the animal affected a decidedly 
greater tendency in the trachea and oesophagus to take on inflam- 
matory action than in the lungs themselves. In one large dairy, 
where most of these occurred, the attack of disease in the throat 
was so sudden, that while the cows would take their meat well at 
one meal and ruminate afterwards, by the next feeding time the 
throat had become swollen to such an extent as to cause the 
smallest portion of food swallowed to lodge in the oesophagus, 
giving rise to the usual symptoms of choking, which were the 
earliest intimations of disease. In other cases great distention of 
the rumen came on, without any assignable cause, accompanied 
by a discharge of saliva from the mouth, hanging of the head, and 
coughing, which, of course, at first led to the supposition that some 
obstruction existed in the oesophagus. On examining the throat 
externally, however, it was evident that the altered condition of 
the parts could not be referred to any such cause, there being 
in the cases of this nature a large diffused swelling extending 
equally on both sides the neck, and mostly along its posterior half, 
which superficially was painful to the touch, considerably impeded 
respiration, and was attended by symptoms of pulmonic inflam- 
mation. In one of the earliest cases of this kind that occurred, 
the probang was introduced, under a belief on the part of the 
owner, and also of our own, that some obstruction existed. On 
having recourse to it, it was found that there was a space of from 
eight to twelve inches, along the oesophagus, near the chest, through 
which it was difficult to pass the instrument, shewing at once that 
the inflammatory action was the cause, not the consequence, of 
