RUPTURE OF THE DIAPHRAGM. 
231 
were no air-bladders on any pail of the lungs, but in almost every 
part they (especially their anterior parts) were very emphyse¬ 
matous, light, and very white; and on pressing a portion of 
it, it would burst with a report like a bladder filled with air. 
The bronchial tubes, on being cut into, were harder than 
I had ever seen them; and every ring, even to the very surface 
of the lungs, was quite sharp, like spiculse of bone, and 
could easily be dissected from the surrounding parenchyma. 
The Foetus .—Several pieces of homy matter were floating in 
the water of the amnion, but none in the. stomach {Vide 
Veterinarian, Vol. I, page 84); the latter had a fluid in it 
like whey, which I have always observed in the foetus in utero. 
The Colon and Rectum were filled with faeces of a dark 
green colour, hard and in lumps; and the colon was much in¬ 
flamed and diseased. The faeces in the other intestines were 
of a deep green colour, and of the consistence of cold jelly, 
but not in lumps. 
Observations .—This mare was badly broken-winded, and 
had been so for many years; and the only thing obseir^able on* 
dissection, in reference to that disease, were emphysema and 
partial ossification of the rings of the bronchiae. What was the 
cause of the rupture of the diaphragm, and when it was done, 
are questions not easily answered; but I am inclined to attri¬ 
bute it to the immense distension of the abdomen, formed by 
flatus, food, and the foetus; for, on opening the abdomen, the 
stomach was found pressed into the left cavity of the chest; 
and if the lungs on the left side were so emphysematous as 
not to perform their functions, and consequently not pressing so 
hard against the diaphragm, they did not counteract the pres¬ 
sure on the abdominal side, and, the diaphragm being partially 
diseased at the time, rupture was produced. 
We differ from Mr. Cartwright as to the cause of this rup¬ 
ture of the diaphragm. It was evidently connected with par¬ 
turition. The action of the diaphragm and intercostal muscles 
very materially assist in the expulsion of the foetus; and they who 
have witnessed the violent efforts of the mother during the labour 
pains, will not wonder that the diaphragm should occasionally 
be ruptured, and the ribs broken. 
The history of human parturition furnishes us with several 
instances of each; and we are obliged to Mr. Cartwright for 
sending us the only case, we believe, on record, of the occur¬ 
rence of this accident in the quadruped. • In this mare the 
