300 
ABSCESS IN THE WOMB OF A MARE. 
accomplish. I therefore requested permission to avail myself of 
the services of M. Delflache. 
27th . — I had obtained the consent of the owner, and my esti- 
mable friend M. D. kindly gave me his assistance. I told him 
what I had done, and we resolved, first of all, to repeat my at- 
tempt of yesterday and have recourse to the bistoury. We were 
no more successful than before with the troisquart. 
Holding the bistoury, whose point was armed by a button, I 
pushed it to the extremity of the neck of the uterus, three inches 
from its base, and, profiting by a sudden expulsive action which 
then took place, I removed the button, and plunged the point of 
the instrument into the tumour, and followed this by a second in- 
cision more than two inches in length. On withdrawing my 
hand, nearly three quarts of grumous foetid matter escaped — the 
first portion being white, and that which followed of the colour of 
the lees of wine. This evacuation was followed by more frequent 
expulsive efforts. 
Then, passing to the abscess in the rectum, and finding that it 
was in a perfectly soft state, I opened it, and obtained nearly a 
pint and a half of purulent matter, white, and exhaling the odour 
of rotten cheese, also a pseudo-membranous production, some 
inches in length and breadth. The contractions, the frequency 
and the force of which caused us no little disquiet, were lessened 
by repeated injection of linden-tree-vvater, and, at the expiration 
of some hours of suffering, gradually diminished. The mare then set 
herself to work, and drank a bucketful of gruel, and attempted 
to get at her litter. 
2 8th . — The expulsive efforts are much diminished — the pus 
continues to run, but always of a bad odour — the tumour 
seems to be disappearing — the belly remains hard — the rectum is 
powerfully contracted, and opposes the introduction of the hand — 
the portion of that intestine situated beyond the abscess forms a 
kind of pad, and scarcely permits me with the point of my finger 
to feel the considerable mass of excrement which is above. Mu- 
cilaginous lavements, and others with oil, are alternately injected 
every two hours. 
29th . — In the same state as yesterday. The animal is con- 
tinually looking towards her flank, and making useless efforts 
to evacuate her faeces. The rectum, however, being a little more 
dilated, I was enabled to overcome the obstacle just mentioned, 
and extract a great quantity of dung. The relief afforded by 
this was very great. The injections were from this time less fre- 
quent and more efficacious. 
'30th . — The flowing of pus is diminished — the digestive func- 
tions are re-established, and she is much better. There is only a 
slight discharge from the vulva. 
April 13M. — Sent home perfectly well. 
Rec. de Med. Vet ., Oct. 1840. 
