FOREIGN BODIES IN THE DIGESTIVE TRACT. 
311 
a tobacco pricker, which had lain for six months in the ox’s rumen, from 
this point. Recovery is generally perfect, stomach or bowel fistula being 
seldom produced. Sometimes the foreign body enters other organs, such 
as the spleen, and induces abscess formation, and death from peritonitis. 
Sheep and goats are less frequent victims, though cases of perforation of 
the abdominal walls and fatal peritonitis have also been seen in them. 
Smooth foreign bodies, in consequence of their weight or size, remain 
lying in the stomach or lumen of the bowel, though heavy objects, like 
metal balls, knives, &c., often fail to pass the stomach. Sometimes they 
produce no discomfort, as in the case of a dog which swallowed a grape- 
shot, and in Nichoux’s case, where the animal carried a silver five-franc 
piece and a large sou in his stomach for twelve years ; but sometimes 
digestion is disturbed. Lighter foreign bodies enter the bowel and are apt 
to become fixed at the ileo-ciecal valve. Bottle corks are particularly 
dangerous, on account of their swelling in the bowel. 
Symptoms and course. Patients are seldom directly observed when 
swallowing foreign bodies, and the presence of the latter in the digestive 
tract can only be discovered by the symptoms they give rise to. In 
cattle, the first sign of injury to the stomach is sudden unaccountable 
disturbance in digestion, with periodic colic and tympanites ; dyspnoea 
soon follows, in consequence of injury to the diaphragm and lungs; 
irregularity in the action of the heart sets in later, the cardiac beat 
becomes laboured and intermittent ; auscultation leveals peiicaidial 
murmurs, whilst the heart sounds themselves still appeal normal. 
To these are added rubbing, scraping, buzzing, or creaking sounds, 
or fluid sounds, like gurgling and bubbling. Circulation is impaired, 
oedema is present below the breast and in the dew-lap, and the jugulai 
vein betrays pulsation (venous pulse). And lastly, palpation of the 
abdomen on the left side, close to the ensiform cartilage towards the 
site of the reticulum and in the heart region, may cause pain. 
In dogs, obstruction of the bowel caused by foreign bodies shows itself 
by vomiting and complete loss of appetite. The animals vomit all kinds 
of nourishment—even pure water soon aftei leceiving it. Seveie 
febrile symptoms, which generally accompany inflammatory diseases 
of the mucous membrane of the stomach or bowel, are here wanting. 
Under such circumstances diagnosis can scarcely be doubtful. 
By palpation of the bowel the foreign body may sometimes be felt. 
For this purpose the dog is placed on his hind legs, the body giasped 
from above, and the viscera allowed to glide between the fingers of the 
two hands, by moving these with slight pressure from the undei poition 
of the abdomen towards the vertebra). But such manipulation often 
requires to be frequently repeated to discovei the foieign body. Some¬ 
times the latter is not felt on the first attempt, but may be discoveied 
