RUPTURE UF THE MESENTERY. 321 
like those of u gut*tie.” I have never seen it in a female ; but in 
“ gut-tie” the animals, in almost every case, have been Irish. 
In this instance the steer was taken ill on the 17th of March, 
with loss of appetite and apparent costiveness, now and then 
striking his belly with his hind feet, and sometimes, but not often, 
stretching himself after getting up, and sinking his back a little. 
Purgatives and enemas were given to the utmost extent until 
the 23d, when it Avas evident that medicine was of no use ; and 
although I felt certain he was not “ gut-tied,” in the common sense 
of the word, yet it was imperative to operate. He had lost all 
pain, had become weaker, had no appetite, and passed no feeces. 
I know some veterinary surgeons cast the animal for the ope- 
ration ; but I prefer doing it when standing, to avoid the danger 
of the intestines escaping in the struggles through the incision, 
which must be made about five inches long. On opening this 
patient it was clear it was not “ gut-tie ;” but on examining 
amongst the intestines I found a cord with what felt like a knotted 
mass of intestines over it, in the middle of the abdomen. The 
cord was about as thick as a goose-quill, and I thought I felt the 
lacerated mesentery. 
These circumstances reminded me of my two former cases, and, 
of course, I resolved to cut the cord, but with little hope of saving 
the animal, for there was a great quantity of fluid among the in- 
testines of a light pinky hue, and of which I ladled out a good 
deal, by pressing the back of my hand upon the intestines, and 
allowing the hollow of my hand to fill with it. I could feel one 
intestine very much thickened, like a piece of velvet, as thick as 
the lappel of my coat ; and this circumstance, connected with the 
quantity of serous fluid, made me express a very unfavourable 
prognosis. However, the cord was cut, and the owner suggested 
that the steer should be laid on his back “ to get the water out.” 
I thought this desirable ; and, after sewing up the incision with 
interrupted sutures within an inch to prevent the escape of intes- 
tine, he was thrown, and turned on his back, and the fluid drained 
off. The incision being closed, we loosed him, and he rose and 
appeared as well as before. 
In about an hour and a half he had a copious discharge of 
faeces, and ate some hay. He was better the two next days, with 
regular evacuations, and fed Avell ; but on the 26th he was not so 
well, fed less, and appeared costive. I attributed this to his having 
eaten too much hay, and to the state of the thickened intestine, 
and gave a mild dose of physic, and wished him to be kept two 
or three days on oil cake, gruel, and bran mashes, with very little 
hay. This was done ; and from that time there was no further 
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