OBSERVATIONS ON ETHER AND CHLOROFORM. 489 
nasal membrane dry and pallid — the conjunctiva injected — the ab- 
domen tympanitic — the tail erect and quivering — the head pendu- 
lous, save when it was thrust out to curl the upper lip or slowly 
moved round towards the side. The horse was in evident pain ; 
but, if made to move, it had an inclination to walk round and 
round, and always to the right. Pressure to the abdomen drew 
forth no sign of tenderness, but seemed rather to annoy the animal. 
There was no pulse at the jaw, and the heart was indistinct. The 
beating of the temporal artery, however, could be plainly felt, 
and numbered 65 in the minute, but was of a thin and feeble 
character. 
There was but little history to be obtained. The horse had 
been ailing during the day, and had taken a fever drink. He had 
been observed to “ blow,” at least an hour before I saw him. 
The cause could not be conjectured, and nothing was stated to 
account for the symptoms, except that a groom had given the 
animal a handful of beans in the morning. 
There was evidently no time to be lost. The breathing alone, 
if not relieved, would speedily produce consequences such as no 
medicine could be expected to counteract. As to the nature of the 
complaint I could form no opinion, save that it was not yet abso- 
lutely inflammatory, and was seated in the abdomen. Before 
administering any thing I back-raked the horse : the sphincter 
offered considerable resistance to the passage of the hand, but the 
rectum was empty, though moist with its secretion, and more than 
usually warm. 
The following drench was given : — Sulphuric ether, six ounces ; 
tincture of opium, four ounces ; water, three pints ; and before the 
animal had swallowed the whole of it an obvious change was to 
be observed. The convulsive shivering in a great measure sub- 
sided, and the muscles only in places could be felt to tremble when 
the hand was placed upon the body. The breathing became more 
easy, and the expresion of the horse’s face less painful : without 
pause, however, I threw up a clyster composed of two ounces of 
ether and two ounces of tincture of opium in a pint of water, 
which was almost immediately returned, and with it some flatus 
was also discharged. 
For half an hour I remained to watch my patient, and though 
during that time he continued to improve, yet he exhibited some 
of those effects consequent upon the medicine, which, in persons 
unacquainted with the operation of ether, might, perhaps, create 
alarm. Saliva, in no inconsiderable quantity, flowed from the 
mouth, and for a quarter of an hour hiccup was well marked. 
I was not sorry to see these symptoms, for they generally are 
