90 
CONTRACTED CARDIA. 
9 
as if he had been for a time kept in a state of starvation ; when, 
instead of swallowing what he took, he would return the bulk 
of it—chewed masses of hay thoroughly soaked with saliva 
—into the manger, and afterwards turn himself away from 
his food in apparent disgust. His drink consisted of water- 
gruel, or else hay-tea; sometimes of the two combined ; to the 
nutrient properties of which, the hay-tea in particular, I have 
reason to believe he owed for the last fortnight of his existence 
his principal support. It may not be out of place to state here, 
that the hay-tea was given to this subject in consequence of 
what appeared in Veterinarius^ Communication in the First 
Number of the Veterinarian ; and that the infusion was made 
by pouring one gallon of boiling water upon Ibs.iv. of hay, cut 
into chaff, and suffering it to remain in a covered vessel until it 
became cold: this was mixed wdth four times the quantity of 
cold water, and either given alone, or thickened with gruel. 
' The natural consequence of this cudding or disgorgement of 
Food became manifest shortly after he was placed under my care: 
almost daily I seemed to see my patient losing flesh, and to be 
turning from'a lively, gay, spirited animal into a dull moping 
creature, indifferent alike to all around him, unless whenever 
the man came with a supply of fresh food. His skin now felt 
as if approaching to a state of hide-bound, and his coat, losing 
its former smoothness and gloss, turned rough, harsh, and arid, 
and became in places scurfy. 
The bowels for the first two or three weeks required continual 
doses of aloes, which were combined with calomel, to keep them 
soluble, such a tendency had he to constipation : latterly, how¬ 
ever, diarrhoea supervened, which I found myself compelled to 
check with chalk-balls, and on one occasion with opium. 
The pulse ranged for the most part of the time between 50 
and 60; seldom exceeding the latter number, or falling below 
the former. 
He lay down most nights, and sometimes ^vas found lying 
1 
