LUMBAR REGION OF A MULE. 
475 
In her walk she rolled a little, as animals do that have any dis- 
ease referrible to the lumbar region; and this had been observed 
during nearly a twelvemonth. 
The farrier had already bled her largely several times; he had 
also placed two setons in her breast, and had ordered her warm 
gruel for her drink, and injections of an infusion of mallows. 
Considering that the debility in which I found her was the con- 
sequence of the too frequent and copious bleedings that had been 
effected, I had recourse to revulsives externally, with a view to 
determine some metastasis of internal inflammation ; and I ordered 
tonics to be administered, in order to rally her almost exhausted 
powers. A mustard cataplasm was placed over the chest — the 
limbs were well embrocated with vinegar, and the animal was 
thoroughly dressed all over, in order to excite the natural action of 
the skin. 
Independently of the gruel, with a portion of nitre in it, which 
was ordered to be frequently administered, there was also given a 
decoction of poppy-heads and lime flowers, and this was preceded 
by the following medicine : — honey, two ounces; gum arabic, an 
ounce; and red bark, in powder, half an ounce. 
This was continued until the 2d of May, without any consider- 
able change ; but on the 4th of May, the animal appeared to be 
better, and the bark was suspended. 
Qth . — She was quite gay, and the paroxysm of the preceding 
night had been very slight. On the 8th, she was dismissed; but 
I recommended the owner to continue the setons for awhile, and 
to be very careful with regard to her feeding; for the farmers in 
our country, seeming to have nothing in view but the labour which 
they can extract from their animals, are sadly impatient to get 
them again into working condition after any illness, and therefore 
permit them to eat immoderately during their convalescence, and, 
in this way, often produce fatal indigestion. So it happened here. 
On the 18th of the same month, ten days after my last visit, I 
was sent for again to the same patient, who, after a too full repast 
on lucern, was seized with stomach-staggers, and died in the even- 
ing of the same day. 
Autopsy eight hours after death . — The abdomen was strangely 
distended, and contained three pailfuls of bloody serous fluid. 
The digestive canal was of a leaden colour externally, still exhi- 
biting slight traces of the inflammatory disease which I have de- 
scribed — the mucous membrane was abraded in some places, espe- 
cially in the small intestines and the floating portion of the colon. 
The stomach was filled, distended with food of a yellow colour, 
and exhaling a disagreeable acid odour. The heart was also filled 
with a green-coloured fluid. 
