690 
ABSCESS IN THE ABDOMEN OF A COW. 
Although this is not a successful case, so far as the recovery 
of the animal is concerned, I think that our veterinary knowledge 
is almost equally advanced by the description of those cases in 
which death terminates the scene, as we have the advantage of 
a post-mortem examination. 
After she had been up a week, she was observed by the cow- 
man not to void her usual quantity of faeces. Not much notice 
was taken of this for two or three days, as in other respects she 
appeared to be in health ; but still continuing to void them in less 
and less quantity every day, Mr. Horsfield was sent for, who, 
on external examination, could detect no cause why this should 
be the case ; but, on inquiry, learned that the animal had for 
some time past been labouring under a morbid appetite, evinced 
by her eating, whenever she could obtain such articles, the 
soles of old shoes, or linen, which might perchance be hung on 
the hedges of the field in which she was grazing. The rumen 
was full, but emitted a tympanic sound when struck. Mr. 
Horsfield, November 1st, prescribed a dose of opening medicine, 
such as is usually given to cattle. 
The draught was given ; but there was no action of the 
bowels. 
2d . — Still the same. She refuses her food. Rumination has 
ceased. Administer frequent enemas. 
3d . — No change. She does not appear to suffer any pain, ge- 
nerally lying down. Pulse 32. Repeat the draught. 
4th . — Losing flesh fast ; but in other respects the same. 
6th . — Give magnes. sulph. H)j, aloes B.B. §j, pulv. zingib. §ss ; 
support her by gruel. 
6th . — As the animal was still no better, or rather was evidently 
sinking, we determined, as her only chance of recovery, to lay 
open the rumen, and remove the contents. Having secured her 
to a gate, we made an incision sufficiently large to introduce the 
arm, taking care not to let any of its contents escape into the 
cavity of the abdomen. Her first and second stomachs contained, 
by measure, the enormous quantity of twenty-eight gallons, all 
in a fluid state, and consisting' principally of the gruel she had 
had. We could not detect any foreign body, with the exception 
of a little sand and coal slack. 
Now giving up all hopes of her recovery, we left her, after 
bringing the edges of the wound in apposition by sutures, leaving 
word that we should be informed as soon as her death had taken 
place, which it did in the course of the night. 
Sectio cadaveris . — On laying open the abdominal cavity, we 
found what at first sight appeared to be an extensive attachment 
of the rumen to the left lobe of the liver and diaphragm ; but, on 
