44 
AFFECTION OF THE MEDULLA OBLONGATA. 
On the 22d of November, I was sent for to see a bay horse 
belonging to a gentleman in this neighbourhood. He had been 
down in the country hunting, and only one or two days previously 
had travelled home nearly sixty miles, having hunted the day 
before that. I found him, to all appearance, labouring under 
catarrhal fever — his respiration rather hurried — extremities cold 
— a discharge from both nostrils — and very languid. I inserted 
a rowel in the breast, gave some fever medicine, and left some 
more for him, with directions as to treatment, promising to see 
him on the next morning. 
23 d . — When I went, he appeared much the same in some 
respects, but the real character of the attack seemed altered, for it 
evidently seemed more like a head affection. He carried it rather 
on one side, and, when he attempted to feed, his head was moving 
constantly up and down in the manger. I then bled him — ap- 
plied a blister to each side of the head — gave him an aperient 
ball, and left one to be taken in the afternoon. 
24th . — The character of the attack was still more altered, he 
having lost in a great measure the controul overall his limbs ; for 
when he moved he lifted his knees (straddling) almost as high as 
the shoulder, and could scarcely turn without the risk of falling: 
in fact, he did fall once in the course of the day, but got up 
again directly. I then felt satisfied (the horse still appearing 
conscious) that it was something connected with the spinal 
cord within the cervical vertebra. I extended the blister the 
whole of the way down each side of the vertebra, and, as a great 
degree of pain was evinced on turning, I bled him again, and gave 
another laxative ball. 
25 th . — He was much in the same state. The blister was act- 
ing well — the bowels gently relaxed, and the appetite tolerable. 
He had been down once or twice, but rose with a little assistance. 
26/A: — I found him down, and he could not rise even with 
assistance. He was still conscious, and neighing when any one 
went to him, but his appetite failing. I wished to have him de- 
stroyed, but, the owner being from home, I could not do that. He 
continued in this state for two or three days, when his master, 
returning, had him destroyed. 
On a post-mortem examination the brain appeared quite healthy 
in every respect; but about three inches from the commencement 
of the medulla oblongata, attached to the inner surface of its 
investing membrane (inferiorly), was a tumour about the size of 
a nut, highly injected, and at its base appearing as if a ligature 
had been applied round it, there being a dark line all round, and 
rather indented. There w as also a considerable quantum of fluid 
within the canal. The spinal cord itself appeared healthy, with 
