DISEASE IN AND OPERATION ON TWO SWINE. 
275 
Mrs. Fischer that these pigs had always been excessively greedy, 
and eaten an immense quantity ; therefore she had made a great 
deal of barley-meal porridge for them. In all probability this food 
had often been made with water that did not boil, and, conse- 
quently, it was not wholesome, and would not digest. Hence had 
arisen constipation, and the animals, in straining themselves to 
dung, had forced out a portion of the large intestine nearly four 
inches in length. Seeing this, the food had been changed. The 
protruded piece of intestine mortified and fell off, and gradually 
the rectum closed up ; and now for four days it had been so closed 
that the animals were quite unable to void their excrements. 
On a more strict examination, I found that the opening was 
completely closed by the contractor muscle of the rectum and the 
remaining portions of the protruded intestine, which had dried up, 
and resembled warts, so hard were they. I could not even intro- 
duce a small probe into the rectum ; and therefore I cut through 
these hard formations and the impeding contractor muscle thus X, 
making an incision each way of an inch in length. Then from each 
of the four lappets thus formed I cut off about a quarter of an inch, 
and an artificial rectum was thus formed, and through it a large quan- 
tity of bad-smelling air, and thin, yellow, stinking excrement was 
instantly voided, and continued to be so for nearly half an hour, 
after which the animals ceased to be blown, and appeared more 
lively and free from pain. The wound bled very freely; nor did I 
attempt to stop the bleeding for some time, deeming it beneficial in 
allaying the inflammation of the intestines, which was evidently 
coming on. A few clysters of cold water and wine vinegar soon 
put a stop to it. When I considered that the animals had bled 
enough, and the bleeding was once stopped, I gave clysters consist- 
ing of a decoction of linseed, fir-tree bark, and wormwood. 
Into their food, which I caused to be composed of clover, pota- 
toes, and linseed scalded with boiling water, I put a little salt- 
petre. In about fourteen days I had the satisfaction of seeing the 
animals perfectly restored to health. It was, however, necessary 
from time to time to rub the opening of the rectum with linseed 
oil, in order to soften and cleanse it, otherwise the dung which 
clung about it would have irritated it, and produced inflammation. 
I had frequent opportunities afterwards of seeing these two 
patients, and I remarked that, whenever they dunged, the rectum 
did not close up so quickly as in the natural state it would have 
done. 
Magazin fur die Gesammte Thierheilkunde } 1845, p. 329. 
