A CASE OF SUB-PERITONEAL HEMORRHAGE. 609 
will recover but this tranquillity is only the herald of a speedy 
death. On the other hand, if the rupture does not take place, 
the poor brute becomes a victim of the sympathy which exists 
between the stomach and the cerebral system, and falls in a state 
of coma, which, continuing for some time, another change occurs, 
and he dies in convulsions painful to witness. 
Although I have met with both these terminations as conse- 
quences of intestinal obstructions, still, however, rupture of the 
stomach is the most frequent of the two : but, on the other hand, 
in contrariety to these terminations, there are two or three cases 
on record in which actual vomition took place in the horse. These, 
however, were remarkable exceptions to the general rule, and, I 
am inclined to think, were the result of a chronic diseased state 
of the stomach. Probably these animals were inveterate crib- 
biters. If such was the case, I can easily comprehend and account 
for the phenomenon of vomition in them ; for I have no doubt 
that, in exercising the affection called crib-biting, the animal ac- 
quires the power of opening the cardia and eructating the gas 
which may be secreted in the stomach. However, as my notions 
on this disease (cribbing) are somewhat peculiar and extended, 
I shall not expatiate on this at present, but reserve it for an ex- 
clusive article at a convenient opportunity. 
To return to the morbid lesions in our present case : — It will 
be remembered that, in the record of the autopsy, I stated that 
the rupture of the stomach was not complete throughout the entire 
length of the laceration, but that it only existed completely for 
the space of about six or seven inches towards the median line of 
the grand curvature at the villous or pyloric division of the organ, 
while the laceration of the peritoneum and the sub-peritoneal 
layer extended through almost the entire length of the great cur- 
vature. This circumstance appears to me to be replete with in- 
terest, since it clearly informs us of the manner in which the sto- 
mach becomes ruptured. In fact, we have here, well defined, 
a case which proves to us that the external or peritoneal coat 
is always the first lacerated, and that the other layers follow 
in succession. Moreover, it is a good example of the truth of 
my observation, “that complete rupture is almost invariably 
confined to the villous division.” But, it may be asked, why is 
this the case ? The solution of this question, I think, will be 
easy to those who will consider for a moment the organization of 
the two divisions of the equine stomach. I allude to the difference 
in their internal coats ; the cardiac portion being lined with a very 
dense and tough epithelium and possessing few glands, while, 
on the other hand, the pyloric has a mucous membrane of a very 
delicate structure, and containing innumerable glandular cups or 
VOL. xvi. 4 N 
