PARACENTESIS ON A HEIFER, THIRTEEN MONTHS 
OLD. 
By M. Ca nu, jun. 
I saw this heifer on the 4th of March, 1831. As long as she 
was fed with milk, she grew, and was in good condition ; bat 
when she was turned to grass, she immediately and rapidly 
wasted. At length her appetite, diminishing from day to day, 
altogether ceased. She was now in a state of extreme emacia- 
tion — her coat stared — her skin was dry and rough — the pulse 
small and frequent — the mucous membranes pale, and the muzzle 
dry — the belly had evidently and rapidly enlarged — the flanks 
were curiously and incessantly agitated —and, if she was at all 
hurried, it appeared as if she would be instantly suffocated. The 
principal cause, however, for which she was brought to me was 
an enlargement in the region of the umbilicus. I believed from 
its appearance that it was a hernia, but, on examining it carefully, 
I found that I could detect a fluctuation through its whole ex- 
tent : then striking on one side of the abdomen while my hand 
was pressed against the other side, I was satisfied that the ab- 
domen was filled by a fluid. 
I informed the proprietor that the animal was dropsical, and of 
the probable result of the case, considering the extreme 
emaciation of the heifer. He entreated me to pursue my own 
course. 
I secured the animal, and, still fearful that there might be some 
hernia, I resolved to puncture the tumour laterally, as I should not 
then have much to dread from any protrusion of intestine. A 
white flaky pus immediately issued. I introduced my finger 
through the puncture in the integument, and found an opening 
into the abdomen about an inch in diameter. Pushing my fin- 
ger into the belly, I could not find the paunch which should have 
been in this situation, but an enormous quantity of thick, half- 
coagulated liquid. I then enlarged the opening in the integu- 
ment, and more than thirty pounds of white inodorous matter, 
resembling clotted milk mingled with pus, escaped. From time 
to time I was obliged to introduce my finger into the abdomen 
to favour its escape. As the abdomen became empty, the paunch 
descended and could be felt, and the flank, which had been pre- 
viously rounded, subsided. 
At length the respiration became accelerated — the pulse 
quickened — and the patient all at once staggered and fell. I 
stopped the discharge, and administered to my patient about a 
