CHOKING IN CATTLE. 
73 
that there appeared a little inflation of the stomach, which seemed 
to have something in it of a solid kind. I carefully examined her 
round, and while applying my ear to the front of the thorax, I could 
distinctly hear eructations of gas from the stomach, apparently 
obstructed in its passage up the oesophagus. From these symp- 
toms I informed the owner I believed the cow to be choked, and 
inquired if she had not vomited at times. I was told that she had. 
I informed him that she had been choked some time. I then 
ordered her a little hay, with a view of discovering if she would 
not vomit it up again. She ate it greedily, but in a few minutes 
vomited it up again. I was then told that she was choked about 
a month ago, and that Mr. G., a neighbour, had put a choke-rope 
down her throat; but that ever since she had not done well. I 
told Mr. B. I would bring my probang in the morning, and see 
if I could relieve her. Accordingly, the probang was introduced, 
but could not be made to pass into the stomach, nor even within 
eight or ten inches thereof, to the best of my judgment. I made 
many trials, but to no purpose. I then informed Mr. B. that I saw 
no chance for her to recover ; that he had better sell her for slaugh- 
ter, she being a feeding cow. He consented to that at once. On 
post-mortem examination, I found, extending from the stomach up 
the oesophagus, to the extent of about ten inches, a large pocket, 
containing a ball, weighing twenty-three ounces, and measuring 
nine inches long by fifteen inches in circumference, composed of 
hay, straw, turnip-tops, &c. 
Case II. 
Feb. 7. — While in the market at Sheffield, I was asked by Mr. 
Wm. West, Arberthorn, Sheffield Park, what I thought could be 
amiss with a neighbour’s cow (Mr. J. Downing’s). He said she 
had then been about three weeks ill, and nothing that was done to 
her did her any good. She had had medicine in abundance, and 
had also been tapped, but for which she could not have survived. 
I inquired how her ailment first began. He informed me, with 
swelling in her body, and vomiting. I told him that it was my 
opinion the cow was either choked or had a stricture in the oeso- 
phagus. We parted, and I heard no more of the case until the 
28th, when a messenger came, desiring me to go to Mr. J. Down- 
ing, Arberthorn, Sheffield Park, to see a cow. 1 inquired of him 
what symptoms were present. He answered, she was much swollen 
in her body, and occasionally vomited. From this description I 
took with me my probang. To my astonishment, I found it to be 
the cow which Mr. West had been describing to me three weeks 
ago; she had been therefore six weeks in this condition. On 
examining her, I found the symptoms much as in Case 1, except 
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