ON STRICTURE IN THE (ESOPHAGUS OF THE COW. 319 
but that, in one or more of them, by very careful search, you 
will be able to find a pisiforme bone or two. 
In conclusion, permit me to thank you for having brought the 
subject afresh sur let apis: as you very properly observe, “ now that 
non- veterinary practitioners are ascertaining the value of our tactics, 
we should be correct, if possible, in all we say about the horse. ” 
The only way to be correct is freely to examine ourselves and 
one another on any doubtful or disputable points. In the present 
instance, it has struck me there was no better way of effecting 
this than that of making your letter and my reply to it pro- 
fessionally public ; and I trust your opinion will coincide with 
mine in this. Others, perhaps, may have something to say on this 
subject as well as ourselves. You and I can have but one 
object — the arrival at truth. 
W. P. 
ON STRICTURE IN THE OESOPHAGUS OF THE COW. 
By Mr. W. Ha y cock, V.S. (Member of the Royal Veterinary 
College , Edinburgh ), Huddersfield . 
To the Editors of the “ Farmers' Magazine .” 
Gentlemen, — I beg leave to send you the history of a case of 
disease in a cow, of which I lately had the management. The 
disease to which I allude was stricture of the oesophagus ; an 
affection rarely, I believe, observed in the lower animals, which, 
perhaps, in a great measure may account for the silence of writers 
upon cattle pathology respecting it. Mr. Blaine, in his work, 
the first edition of which appeared at least eighteen years ago, 
devoted just seven lines and a half to a description of its symp- 
toms, situations, the part affected, and the mode of treatment ; 
so that I leave every inquiring reader to judge for himself as to 
the amount of information he will be likely to derive from the 
perusal of so short an article. Mr. Percivall, however, does not 
pass it over so lightly ; he devotes about three pages to it, 
but his observations have reference only to its existence in the 
horse. Professor Dick, in the article “ Veterinary Science,” 
written by him in the seventh edition of the “ Encyclopedia 
Britannica,” does not even allude to its existence; while 
Mr, Youatt, in his work published by the “Society for the 
Diffusion of Useful Knowledge,” applies about half a page, 
or scarcely that, to the elucidation of the disease in question ; 
and informs us that during the whole of his practical career 
up to the period at which he wrote — which practice must 
