FRACTURE OF THE RINGS OF THE TRACHEA. 555 
Inflammation, however, to such an extent having been set up, it was 
impossible to arrest its course. The mucous and muscular coats of 
the jejunum were so attenuated by the action of the acid principle 
upon it, that they yielded and evacuated their contents at almost the 
slightest touch. The death of so valuable an animal is a most 
painful circumstance ; but I think that I can read some lessons of 
experience that shall not be lost upon us. 
A CASE OF FRACTURE OF THE RINGS OF THE 
TRACHEA. 
By Mr. R. Nicholson, of Wormsley. 
[The writer candidly owns to me that he is not a graduated veteri- 
nary surgeon, and expresses in the introductory part of his letter, 
which it is unnecessary here to quote, much good feeling towards 
the profession ; I therefore do not hesitate to admit his contri- 
bution. — Y.] 
A HORSE belonging to a farmer in the village in which I reside 
came up from grass with all the symptoms of broken wind. He 
was perfectly sound when he was turned out. He gradually grew 
worse until the middle of March, when he was occasionally threat- 
ened with immediate suffocation. He would suddenly fall when he 
was at work, and struggle for a minute or two, as if he was in the 
agonies of death. He would then get up again, and proceed with 
his load in evident distress. This would occasionally happen seve- 
ral times in the day. 
At length I was sent for. I was immediately struck by the 
appearance of an evident indentation of the windpipe, and which 
the carter said was not visible until that day. It had not been 
observed until that day. The horse was in a state of great dis- 
tress, and symptoms of approaching suffocation were too apparent. 
An immediate operation was necessary. 
I had recourse to that invaluable operation tracheotomy. I 
divided the integument and muscles covering the windpipe at the 
depressed part, and dissected them back to the extent of five or six 
inches. I then took out a portion of the trachea, rather more than 
an inch square, immediately below the depression. To my great 
astonishment I found that the rings were actually broken, and, on 
introducing my finger, I ascertained that a false membrane had grown 
over them, and extended across the trachea, and a small aperture 
only was left for the purpose of breathing. 1 dissected out the 
