262 
NASAL POLYPUS. 
dents, we feel assured our readers will experience much interest 
and a little surprise perhaps at the following case, which is 
graphically related by the discoverer of the rapidity of the 
blood’s circulation in his c Repertorium’ for 1843, at page 13, 
and entitled, “ Hard Breathing in a Foal.” 
It occurred in the Veterinary School of Stuttgart. 
“In September, 1842, a countryman brought a two -and- a-half-y ear-old 
colt to be examined for difficulty of breathing. It was since the preceding 
summer that the symptoms had presented themselves ; the owner knewnothing 
about it antecedent to this time, as he had not bred the foal, but bought it the 
preceding year. The breathing was difficult, audible, and stertorous ; when 
quiet, it was slightly affected, but very apparent on exertion ; at the same 
time there was a thick mucous secretion from both nostrils, but principally 
from the left. There was no swelling of the throat, nor of the submaxillary 
space; the Schneiderian membrane also appeared healthy, and the nasal 
sinuses sounded hollow on percussion. After repeated examinations to 
ascertain, whether a collection of pus existed in the guttural pouches, or if 
there existed any other disease of throat, &c., I observed that upon expiration 
no current of air could be felt from the right nostril, and on introducing 
a flexible catheter it only reached as far as the posterior naris, whilst on the 
left side it readily entered the throat and oesophagus.* On stopping up the 
left nostril with tow, the animal became very oppressed, and tried to breath 
through his mouth. It was thus discovered, that far back in the nose, on 
the right side, there was an obstruction to the current of air, and as it had 
long continued, we decided, that it was rather a polypus, than an inflamed 
swelling, or an abscess. The proprietor gave the colt to the college, and it 
was destroyed. 
“ On a cadaveric inspection, the mesenteric and other groups of lymphatic 
glands were found swollen, but besides this nothing else abnormal existed 
in either the abdominal or thoracic cavities. The throat was also found to be 
free from disease, the obstruction to the breathing consisting in a closure of 
the left posterior nasal opening (Choanna) by a normal (though anomalous, 
J. G.) outgrowing continuation of the pituitary membrane, which was 
spread across it from side to side. (See Fig. 2, a.) 
Fig. 2. 
* A reference to woodcut will show that the artist, as in the preceding 
case, has unfortunately reversed the figure, thus showing the obstruction 
in the left instead of the right nostril. 
