417 
THE REMOVAL OF A FORK FROM THE STOMACH 
OF A POINTER. 
By Mr. Kent, V.S., Bristol . 
On Sunday, the 23d of February last, Mr. Harford, a gen¬ 
tleman residing in Bristol, when feeding a pointer dog with flesh, 
happened to let the fork fall with the flesh, and the dog swal¬ 
lowed the flesh and fork together. On the following morning I 
was called in to see the dog; and although I could feel the pro¬ 
jection of the fork outside, which convinced me that he had in 
reality swallowed it, yet as the animal fed well, and exhibited 
no particular symptoms of pain or fever, I gave it as my opinion 
that there was a possibility that he might live; and consequently 
he was sent to me to be more immediately under my care. The 
treatment I adopted was, to feed him on cow’s liver, with a view 
to keep the stomach distended, and the bowels open; and I 
gave him three times a day half a pint of water with sufficient 
sulphuric acid to make it rather strongly sour to the human 
tongue, with the intention of assisting the stomach in dissolving 
the iron. 
On the following Sunday the skin at the projecting point 
began to exhibit some indication of ulceration ; and on Mon¬ 
day a prong of the fork might be touched with the point of the 
finger, when pressed on the ulcer. I then determined on 
making an effort to extract the fork on the following morning 
(Tuesday), the 4th of March, and which I accordingly did, as¬ 
sisted by a medical friend of his owner. The dog was still fed 
on cow’s liver; his appetite remained good, and with very little 
medical treatment the external wound healed. The animal im¬ 
proved rapidly in flesh during the whole time, and left me in 
perfect health, and still remains so; and the only inconvenience 
that existed to any extent was a very bad cough; he was also 
obliged to lie at length, being unable to coil himself up in his 
usual w ; ay. 
The fork was a three-pronged one, 6J inches long. The han¬ 
dle, which was of ivory, was digested,—it w r as quite gone; and 
either the gastric fluid or the acid, or both conjointly, had 
made a very apparent impression on the iron. I forward the 
case, rather because the issue was such as no one would have 
anticipated, than from any expectation I feel of the report being 
of public benefit. 
The plan of treatment I adopted was, without any reference 
drawn from precedent, such as occurred to me at the moment, 
and the result was favourable. I gave cow’s liver rather than 
