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496 
POLYPUS IN THE THROAT OF A HEIFER ERADICATED 
BY TORSION. 
By Mr. J. YOUNGHUSBAND, Greystoke. 
Feb. 18, 1846. — I WAS requested to examine a two-year- 
old heifer that had a most distressing cough, accompanied by 
difficulty of breathing, a constant discharge of saliva from the 
mouth, and, when not engaged in feeding, by the head being kept 
protruded, held nearly straight out ; clearly pointing out that it 
was a. portion of the upper part of the air-passages that was suf- 
fering from some abnormal affection to which those parts are 
liable. 
Upon examination I could not detect any thing likely to throw 
much light upon the disorder, and, therefore, at this time could 
come to no satisfactory conclusion as regarding the true nature of 
the complaint. In one thing I was blameable, and that was, in not 
making at. the time an examination of the back of the mouth and 
neighbouring parts. On the supposition, however, of the upper 
portion of the windpipe being the part affected, I had the skin all 
round well blistered ; after the action of which had subsided, I ap- 
plied the bin-iodide mercurial ointment twice a-day for about three 
weeks; at which time I found to my regret that, instead of my 
patient improving, she was decidedly getting worse. 
Communicating with my friend, Mr. Relph, I desired him to see 
her along with me, to which he kindly agreed ; when he detected a 
polypus at the upper and back part of the mouth, which by its 
situation obstructed the breathing, and was causing all those uneasy 
symptoms from its pressure. The cause of annoyance being dis- 
covered, the next consideration was, how to get rid of it. This 
we agreed to do by ligature ; but before we attempted the opera- 
tion we deemed it prudent to act with great caution ; so we had 
the beast cast and well secured, and then, by way of preparative, 
performed the operation of tracheotomy, inserting a tracheotomy 
tube. 
We now came to the second part of the performance, which was 
the placing of a ligature around the neck of the polypus. In this we 
found no little difficulty, owing to the shortness of its neck, as well 
as to the situation in which it was placed. The ligature, however, 
being adjusted, the beast was let up. A little spt. eth. nit. &c. 
was administered, and orders given as to the dietetic manage- 
ment &c. 
MaySth . — On examination, the ligature was gone — the poly- 
pus remaining — the patient no better. We were, therefore, com- 
