419 
AN ACCOUNT OF A LARGE MESENTERIC GLAND 
DESTROYING A HORSE. 
By Mr. Alexander Dunlop, F.S., Airdrie, Lanark, N.B. 
On October 17th, 1838, 1 was sent for to see a horse that had 
been bought about eight days before, and which was now taken 
ill. I thought it was colic, and gave a drink composed of linseed 
oil, turpentine, and opium. I also back-raked and clystered the 
animal. The pulse was about 50. 
I saw him again in about an hour afterwards, and there was 
very little difference in the symptoms. I now thought it right to 
bleed, and I abstracted six quarts of blood. I also again back- 
raked him, and felt something solid, which I thought was 
hardened faeces. I gave another clyster, and administered four 
drachms of Barbadoes aloes, with plenty of gruel. 
II p.m. he appeared relieved. I heard no more of him for 
some days; but then I was sent for in great haste. I found my 
patient in a worse state than before. The pulse was 65; the 
animal appeared to be in great pain, and was much exhausted. 
He had a peculiar way, as he stood in his stall, of turning half 
round, and standing in that posture for five or ten minutes. He 
would then lie down and turn upon his back. I bled him, fo- 
mented his belly, and again back-raked him, in doing which I 
could still feel something hard with the tips of my fingers. I 
I gave plenty of gruel, which was the only thing that seemed to 
relieve him. 
As I had to go out of town I did not see him for some hours 
after this. I then found him hardly able to rise. Sometimes 
he seemed to be considerably relieved by pressure on the flanks ; 
but, at other times he evinced very great pain from pressure. 
I saw that it was all over with him, and so I told the owner. 
The horse died on the same evening. 
On opening him, I found a tumour 16 lbs. in weight, the colon 
adhering to it, and being twisted around it in three places like 
a claw. It appeared to me to be an enlarged and diseased 
mesenteric gland. I dissected the tumour from the colon with 
scarcely wounding the intestine. There were two places at which 
the colon was very much contracted ; there were likewise in- 
flammatory spots upon the colon where it was twisted round 
the tumour. In every other part the intestines were perfectly 
healthy. The weight of the tumour and the contraction of the 
intestine caused the colicky pains by the partial obstruction of 
the faeces which they contained. 
