578 
BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF CHLOROFORM. 
box was half filled with watery vapour. I again bled him as be- 
fore to approaching syncope, and gave a tobacco enema, the latter 
being twice repeated at intervals of half an hour : but all to no pur- 
pose. The most potent remedies I could think of affected him no 
more than so much inert matter. 
I told the owner that there was little or no chance of recovery, 
and that I had no doubt we had something more than colic to deal 
with; some mechanical obstruction in the bowels, or entangle- 
ment, intus-susception, or perhaps a calculus; I could not tell what: 
but as a last resource I would, with his permission, try the inhala- 
tion of chloroform. He readily consented, and I procured some 
chloroform immediately from a medical friend in the town, Dr. 
Hewgill, and, with the aid of his, Dr. H.’s, assistant, suc- 
ceeded in giving it without much difficulty. We made an inhaler 
of a pillow coat, by folding a silk handkerchief square, and pinning 
it at each corner within the bag, about six inches from the bottom, 
which was ripped open to admit air : six drachms of chloroform 
were poured upon the handkerchief, and the bag placed on the 
horse’s head, and retained there by pieces of strong tape. He was, 
at first, very much excited by the chloroform, pawed with his fore 
feet, and tried to remove the inhaler, but soon became quieter, and 
stood in the middle of the box trembling from head to foot : he 
snorted violently, and breathed deep and loud. Thinking the quan- 
tity of chloroform insufficient, I injected, with a syringe, another 
ounce upon the handkerchief. This second dose soon made him 
stagger ; he swayed backwards and forwards two or three times, 
then suddenly fell with great violence, throwing his head back like 
a dead horse — indeed, all present supposed him to be dead. The 
inhaler was removed as quick as possible, and his head brought 
round to the door : he lay for some minutes — six or eight I should 
think — without shewing symptoms of animation, the pulse almost 
imperceptible at the jaw : some cold water was dashed upon him 
two or three times before he appeared to breathe, and, when he did, 
it was slow and prolonged. Presently he raised his head, and 
looked round bewilderingly ; and at last got upon his legs, shook 
himself, and appeared quite free from pain : and so, indeed, he 
evidently was, for he shewed no more uneasiness, and required no 
further active treatment. I had him rubbed dry and clothed soon 
afterwards. He drank half a bucketful of gruel, and ate a little 
sloppy mash. 
About a month afterwards he had another slight attack of colic; 
it yielded, however, at once to a dose of opium and aether. Since 
that time he has been quite free from every ailment of the kind, 
although in the interim he has been twice a patient, once for lame- 
ness and once for open knee-joint. 
