CASES OF PUTRID SORE THROATS IN HORSES. 571 
Mr. Godwin, of Birmingham, was sent for about seven o’clock 
the same evening ; but, he not being at home, Mr. Davy, his as- 
sistant, came over about half-past ten o’clock. He examined each 
case very minutely with myself, and at once considered the case 
of the colt altogether hopeless ; at the same time, he recommended 
that the operation of tracheotomy be performed. Accordingly, I 
opened the windpipe, which afforded temporary relief to the poor 
dying animal. Notwithstanding, however, about half-past twelve 
o’clock the same night he died. 
Early the next morning I met Mr. Godwin and Mr. Davy in 
consultation on the surviving animals. These gentlemen gave 
their best attention and consideration to these desperate cases, 
making such suggestions as they considered would prove beneficial. 
Mr. Godwin directed his assistant to make a post-mortem examina- 
tion of the body of the colts which had died on the previous even- 
ing. Mr. Davy performed his task admirably well. The body 
lying upon its right side, Mr. D. first of all removed the left branch 
of the lower jaw and left cheek, which at once exposed the mouth, 
palate, tongue, and pharynx ; he then laid the larynx and trachea 
fully open, when the fatal mischief, the cause of death, was brought 
to view. The root of the tongue was swollen, and in several 
places ulcerated ; the pharynx was highly inflamed, ulcerated, and 
in a putrid state, emitting a putrid smell, thus accounting for the 
stinking breath during life, some hours before death, and which 
rendered it sometimes almost impossible for the attendants to bear. 
The larynx, as well as three or four inches of the upper part of 
the trachea, presented inflammatory appearances. The parotid 
glands were enlarged, as well as all the external parts of the 
throat. The other viscera were quite healthy. 
Returning to the other patients — the mare rapidly grew worse ; 
her throat swelling more and more; pulse rising to 113 per 
minute ; her countenance presenting a distressed and haggard ap- 
pearance ; she often waved her head, and shifted her position, as 
if enduring intense agony. Then succeeded the most laborious 
breathing, suffocation, and death on the second day after her first 
attack. 
No post-mortem examination of this case was made. 
In the last case, that of the colt four years old, the disease, at 
first, appeared to assume a milder form, and so continued until the 
day before he died, when the malignant symptoms came on, and 
the disease rapidly ran its course. The pulse in this case never 
exceeded 80 per minute. Perhaps the early attention and open- 
ing of the trachea might have retarded its progress ; though, in the 
end, the violence of this case even exceeded the former ones ; the 
