135 
RUPTURE OF THE RECTUM. 
By Mr. J. B. Lord, F.tf., Doncaster. 
On the 17th of December, 1840, I was requested to attend a 
brown horse, the property of J. B. Linley, Esq., of Hampole, with 
the following symptoms : — pulse 54, and full ; appetite impaired; 
very dull, and evidently experiencing some pain in voiding his 
faeces ; pain was likewise evinced by his looking towards his 
flanks. I abstracted blood to the amount of Ovij, and gave a 
draught composed of spt. aether, nit., tinct. opii, and solut. aloe. 
18 th y 8 a.m. — He seems considerably better; has eaten of the 
mashes greedily; pulse 44; ears and extremities warm ; bul his 
bowels have not been operated on. 1 threw up an enema con- 
taining ol. lini et liq. chlorinat. sodae. 
19th, 7 a.m. — A considerable change has taken place since 
yesterday; he evinces great pain by frequently lying down, roll- 
ing, and suddenly rising again : pulse 95, very strong; ears and 
extremities very cold ; mucous tissues inflamed ; respiration hur- 
ried ; pain increasing ; the animal pawing and striking the 
ground in agony, frequently voiding high-coloured urine, and 
attempting to void his dung. Blood was abstracted, and the 
draught repeated. On passing the hand up the rectum in order 
to examine the state of the bladder, and dislodge any faecal mat- 
ter, great resistance was offered ; but I succeeded in withdrawing 
a quantity of highly offensive faeces and dark-coloured pus. On 
carefully reintroducing my arm, I found a rupture had taken 
place about eighteen inches from the sphincter, and the hand 
could be easily passed into the cavity of the abdomen. In the 
course of an hour the pulse rose to 160 ; respiration was more 
hurried; cold sweats bedewed the body ; the animal struggled 
violently ; and death shortly closed the scene. 
Post-mortem appearances. — On opening the cavity of the ab- 
domen, a great quantity of blood, pus, and fseces, were found, to 
the amount of seven or eight pints. The rupture was on the right 
side of the intestine, and a great quantity of cellular tissue was 
attached to it. The surface of the intestine, for several inches 
round the rupture, was very thin. The parts were quite gangre- 
nous. The other intestines had a slight blush of inflammation. 
The bladder was a little inflamed and thickened on its upper sur- 
face, and contained a quantity of thick mucus. 
