99 
OVER-DISTENDED STOMACH IN A COW. 
when the contents came rushing out in a large stream, and con¬ 
tinued doing so for some time ; and when it had stopped coming 
of itself, 1 introduced my hand, and removed a great deal more 
of it. The quantity of this indigested mass which was removed 
is almost incredible. After being satisfied with what I had re¬ 
moved, I stitched up the wound, and had the cow raised on her 
feet; and being afraid of inflammation taking place, as the wea¬ 
ther was very hot, I drew a quantity of blood from her; gave a 
pint of olive oil and 8 ounces of Epsom salts, which acted very 
slightly next day. 
27th. —No passage through the bowels; pulse 80 ; and the cow 
shewing symptoms of fever, I abstracted a little more blood, 
and gave a brisk purge. 
28th. —The bowels not acted upon, and the animal not feed¬ 
ing. I ordered drenches of gruel to be administered. 
29th. —The cow still not feeding, the bowels not being acted 
upon ; the pulse 86 ; the legs, ears, and muzzle extremely cold. 
I explored the stomach again, as part of the stitches had given 
way, so that I readily got the point of an injecting syringe intro¬ 
duced, and found that a portion of the contents which I had not 
removed was lying in large hard masses in the paunch. I in¬ 
jected a quantity of tepid water, and parted the mass as well as 
possible with the point of the syringe ; and then gave a smart 
dose of physic, which cleansed out the bowels. 
June 1st. —A little better ; takes a little gruel; pulse rather 
slower; legs, ears, and muzzle of a more kindly heat. I gave 
linseed tea and gruel to drink. 
June 6th.— She is so much improved, that I allow her to go to 
pasture for one hour night and morning, and continue the gruel. 
She was doing well up to the 12th, when the owner thought 
there would be nothing wrong in sending her out in the morning 
with the rest of his cows. She seemed not so well in the fore 
part of the day; but was again put out, when she went into a 
small brook that runs past Mr. Bell’s premises, and took a hearty 
drink of water: she instantly became, as it were, nailed to the 
spot, and was with difficulty got to the cow-house door, where 
she fell down, and had to be carried into the house. She lay all 
that day, unable to rise; catarrhal fever came on, with a severe 
cough, and for two weeks she ate nothing, but water-gruel was 
daily administered with a horn. At length, after the usual treat¬ 
ment, she began to recover, when I gave tonics with gruel. She 
was very much emaciated, but gradually recovered, and was in 
time completely brought round. Great merit is due to Mrs. Bell, 
who had her nursed like an infant. The wound in her side 
healed kindly, and she is again in good condition. 
