INFLAMMATION AND RUPTURE OF THE LIVEK. 
19 
this morning; he had, however, done his work as usual. I ex¬ 
amined him, and found, with the exception of a slight increase 
in breathing, nothing about him to indicate any thing wrong; but 
knowing him previously, and seeing that he had made flesh rather 
fast latterly, and observing, as before mentioned, the breathing 
somewhat hurried, I readily assented to bleed him, after which, by 
the desire of the owner, he took a common diuretic : he after¬ 
wards stood some minutes in the forge, when the breathing appeared 
much increased; and he then, for the first time, began to show 
some little uneasiness, in rather a peculiar manner, by shifting 
first one hind leg, and then the other, which he would do ten or 
twelve times in a minute: he then did the same with the fore 
ones. Before he left the forge he began to evince more pain, 
by pawing a little with one fore-foot. I now requested that he 
might be taken gently home, and said I would see him early in 
the afternoon. Being a good deal engaged in the afternoon, I 
was not able to see him so soon as appointed; but about five 
o’clock the owner called on me, and said he thought him better, al¬ 
though soon after he got home in the morning he had been much 
worse, and showed a great deal of uneasiness, by frequently 
lying down, and stretching his head out under the manger. The 
coachman, supposing it might be spasm of the bowels, raked 
him, and soon afterwards he staled ; and then, up to the time 
the owner called on me, he was thought to be doing well. I saw 
him for the second time about six o’clock in the evening, and 
found him lying down, and, whilst lying, apparently in no pain ; 
but on entering the stable he immediately got up, and walked 
rather quickly towards the manger, as though he w T as going to 
feed; but he had no sooner got there, than he backed very 
quickly to the hind part of the stable, where he in part supported 
himself against the wall for about a minute. I now proceeded 
to examine him very closely, and found his pulse about seventy ; 
ears and extremities rather cold; Schneiderian membrane and 
conjunctiva very pale. On putting my finger into his mouth, it 
was coated with a white slimy mucus, and I know nothing better 
to compare it to than a mixture of prepared chalk made very 
thick. Upon further inspection, I found the tongue coated with 
the same ; respiration a very little hurried ; but there was the 
shifting of the feet, one after the other, as noticed in the early 
part of the day. I was now quite satisfied that a great deal 
more was the matter than w r as anticipated by his owner, or than 
I had suspected in the morning, but did not feel assured as 
to the real disease, although strongly suspecting diseased liver. 
I did not feel inclined to do much ; seeing, however, that his 
bowels were somewhat constipated, I attempted to give him a 
dose of oil, but I found this quite impracticable, from the very 
