268 RUPTURE OF THE HEART OF A PONY. 
answer better than the actual cautery, and as the operation is 
as rare as amputation of one of his extremities, we think it of 
little importance ; but in the horse, had it to be performed 
only once in a practitioner’s lifetime, the simplest and best 
mode should be adopted ; just as if a veterinary surgeon were 
called upon to tie the carotid or the femoral artery, or to 
perform the Caesarian operation, he would be expected to do 
it as a man of science, as a surgeon, and not empirically, as 
in the days of yore. 
RUPTURE OF THE HEART OF A PONY. 
By J. M. Parker, M.R.C.Y.S., Birmingham. 
Gentlemen, — Should you think the following case suffi- 
ciently interesting for insertion in your valuable journal, it 
is entirely at your service. 
On Feb. 23d, of this year, at 4.30 p.m., my attendance 
was requested to a pony which had run away with a gig, and, 
while going very fast down hill, had come into violent contact 
with a cart coming in the opposite direction. When he struck 
the wheel of the cart, with his off shoulder, he was observed 
to rear up from the force of the shock, and then to fall down. 
The harness being removed, it was found that he could not 
get up, and when lifted on to his legs, he could not stand. 
Upon my arrival, he was quietly lying on his near side in 
the street, and, on further examination, I found the symp- 
toms present to be as follow : 
Respiration very quick, but not laborious ; pulse 55 , and 
weak ; visible mucous membranes pallid, especially the 
buccal. Thinking that his inability to rise might proceed 
from fracture of the neck of the scapula, or of the humerus, 
I manipulated both fore extremities, but could not discover 
anything uncommon. The animal remained lying down, 
quite passive, and there was apparently no acute pain. 
While meditating what was the best plan to adopt, I ob- 
served that his breathing became rather laborious, and the 
expression of his eye haggard. On feeling his pulse, it had 
increased in rapidity, and was decidedly more feeble. My 
diagnosis now was, internal hemorrhage, the result of the 
rupture of a large vessel in the vicinity of the heart, and I 
gave the owner no hopes whatever of his recovery. He pro- 
posed to have him destroyed, but I did not anticipate that 
he would live long, and, moreover, I wished to see how soon 
