ACUPUNCTURATION IN VETERINARY PRACTICE. 203 
exertion and her excessive coughing caused partial rupture of the 
diaphragm, which was completed the day she was exercised, or 
soon after. 
The latter case I attribute to excessive and repeated cough¬ 
ing, for the fibres of the diaphragm, in each case, seemed as if 
they were drawn from each other, being tapered out at their 
edges to the mere thickness of a wafer. 
ON 
ACUPUNCTURATION IN VETERINARY PRACTICE. 
W—— 
THE operation of acupuncturation is of eastern origin. It is 
said to have been invented'by the Chinese, and by them trans¬ 
mitted to Japan. Some allusions to it occur in a few medical 
writings towards the close of the seventeenth century; but the 
practice of it has only very lately been adopted by European- 
surgeons. The wonderful tales that were related of its almost 
magical effects in eastern climes, have not been fully realised, 
and some eminent practitioners have even ranked it with the 
absurd reveries of animal magnetism. Experience however has 
shewn that it has great power in relieving many painful and ob¬ 
stinate nervous and muscular affections. On its theory mystery 
rests, and which I shall not attempt to develope. 
I am not aware that it has been resorted to by any English 
veterinarian, except that 1 once used it with considerable good 
effect in a case of chorea consequent on distemper in a bitch, 
. Some French veterinarians have given it an extensive trial. 
' It was first used at the Veterinary School at Alfort, on a para¬ 
lytic bitch, but without effect. 
' In May, 1825, M. Chenel tried it in a case of chorea in a 
dog. One of the hinder legs was principally affected. Six nee¬ 
dles were inserted in the thigh, and retained eight minutes. 
The insertion appeared to give very great pain, but the animal 
was tranquil while they remained in the thigh. On the follow¬ 
ing day six were inserted more deeply, and they remained 
twelve minutes, and on the succeeding day eight needles, which 
remained' twelve minutes, and, after that, eight needles for 
twenty minutes. The pain was excessive—the whole of the limb 
swelled enormously—the dog refused his food, and a high state 
