154 
CASE OF RUPTURE OF THE SPLEEN. 
same paddock, and to whom the loose box was mess-room and dor- 
mitory. I accompanied him, and while he attended the more 
youthful parties, I was occupied in serving out their rations to 
eight others, yearlings, two-year olds, and a three-year-old mare in 
foal, in a paddock immediately contiguous. If I may be pardoned 
the digression, these eight poor dumb brutes would furnish no con- 
temptible lesson to many an assembly of rational animals by the 
quiet, orderly manner in which they congregate in their common 
hall — a capacious thatched shed — to partake of their three daily 
meals. There is no kicking, no biting, no jostling, but each eats 
out of the same manger what is set before him, and allows his 
neighbour to do the like. Having finished my own task, I passed 
on to overlook the others, and on entering found three oak boards 
knocked clean out of the side of the box. I instantly turned my 
eye on the old mare, and perceived at a glance by which animal 
the mischief had been done. Her coat lay as glossy and smooth as 
unpiled velvet, and her face wore a haggard look. She was 
heaving at the flanks, but she did not absolutely sweat, though 
her skin was dank and warm. I led her gently out into the 
open air, and closely watched her. She had dunged copiously, 
twice in the box (her dung I knew), and she again dunged, but 
apparently with some little straining, in small quantities, after 
being fetched out. Her dung was yellow and pultaceous. Shu 
pawed at her belly with her off hind leg, and scraped the ground 
somewhat earnestly with her off fore. She seemed half disposed 
to lie down, but irresolute. The most alarming symptom in my 
eyes, however, was a nervous curling back of the upper lip, like a 
horse snuffing a mare. I cannot boast of your experience, Sir, but 
to me this writhing of the lip under such conditions is the patient’s 
death warrant : ’tis the solemn outward index wherewith myste- 
rious nature points the observer’s eye to the unseen but mortal 
sickness which is sapping life’s citadel within. Couple with it a 
clear ringing neigh — a neigh whose tones will haunt the listener’s 
ear for months, and once heard will never be forgotten — the passing 
bell itself is not a more certain bodement of speedy dissolution. 
As soon as the suckers had drunk their pailful of gruel, I led her 
back into the box. She moved heavily, and in pain. I now set to 
work to handle her abdomen all round, and by and by discovered 
that the rim of the belly close behind, and almost at the bottom of 
the false ribs, was burst to the extent of about a crown’s size; the 
skin without a scratch ; there were also two puffy spots on the ribs 
themselves. I threw a cloth over her. and went off instantly in 
quest of Mr. Hughes, our able and obliging veterinary surgeon. 
On inspecting her shape, I found a slight stain of blood upon the 
lips of it. She was brought down home, and placed in her loose 
