332 EFFECT OF WORMS IN THE STOMACH OF A MARK. 
observed what appeared to be a convulsive or spasmodic action 
of the oesophagus, and, upon more minutely examining her, found 
that the action was at intervals repeated ; when a substance, ap- 
parently as large as my fist, was regurgitated some distance up 
the oesophagus, and then again as quickly descended towards the 
stomach. 
The diagnosis which I formed from this circumstance was intro- 
susceptio,or entanglement of some portion of the intestinal tube, 
and my prognosis was consequently unfavourable. 
Under the idea of repressing this effort at vomiting, I gave her 
a solution 3di of gum. opii, w'hich had only the effect of easing 
her pain, but did not at all moderate the action of the oesophagus, 
which continued uninterruptedly until the afternoon, when she 
expired. The body was swollen when I first saw her in the morn- 
ing, and gradually increased until death ensued. 
Upon opening her this morning, the abdominal viscera did not 
present one-twentieth part of the disease which I fully expected 
I should find. There was no intro-susceptio, or even entangle- 
ment of any kind; neither did the intestines present, externally, 
as much inflammation as, under all circumstances, I expected 
that I should have found. Their contents were fluid, and the 
villous coat was much inflamed. 
The stomach was opened, when immediately there flowed from 
it, along with its other contents, at least twenty teretes, from eight 
to ten inches in length ; but the stomach itself, to my great sur- 
prise, was perfectly normal. 
I had then the oesophagus laid open through its whole length, 
thinking that I should find more of these parasites lodged in 
some parts of its course ; but none were found, and its internal 
coat was altogether healthy. 
In this case we have one proof, that vomiting, or an effort to 
do so, is not truly pathognomonic of intro-susceptio, but that it 
can exist from other causes. In solving the question how the 
teretes got into the stomach, I shall merely hazard the opinion 
that it is very probable that the physic caused a retrograde action 
of the intestinal tube, and propelled them into the stomach ; and 
the irritation which they caused when introduced there was evi- 
dently endeavoured to be counteracted by their violent expulsion, 
that produced that spasmodic effort to vomit, which, during 
several hours, was so palpably manifest. This case also conveys 
to me some pathological deductions, from which I can more clearly 
trace the effects produced from teretes in a case which I related 
in The Veterinarian, vol. xiv, p. 530. 
