138 HORRIBLE. CRUELTY INFLICTED ON SOME HORSES. 
rowels placed in his thighs; his legs bandaged ; warm gruel to 
be homed down ; and enemas of warm water to be given. 
I then attended to the remaining horses, which were all purg¬ 
ing from physic ; one of which, an aged horse, I found was suf¬ 
fering; similar to the last-named ; and he was removed to a loose 
place. Pulse the same as that of the other horse, but not so ac¬ 
celerated ; breathing increased ; extremities alternately hot and 
cold. The abdomen swollen and painful. Although apparently 
suffering much inward pain, he did not attempt to lie down. 
To the former horse, at five p.m., were given, solution of aloes 
two ounces, spirit of nitre one ounce and a half, laudanum 
one ounce, oil half a pint: to the latter, a ball composed of 
camphor, nitre, emetic tartar, and digitalis. At 10 p.m. this 
ball was repeated to each horse; plenty of warm gruel was ad¬ 
ministered to them, and both horses appeared easier. 
9th, 11 a.m. —Each horse presented nearly the same symp¬ 
toms as yesterday, but their bodies were larger and more painful 
to the touch. Fomentations of hot water to the abdomen; 
tinct. opii ^ij in some gruel, and tobacco enemas, in giving 
which to the horse first taken, there was great difficulty to the 
passage of the fluid. Suspecting the obstruction arose from 
hardened feces, I introduced my hand and ami : there were no 
feces in the rectum, which took a sudden turn downwards, 
lying on the abdominal muscles, as if broken from its attach¬ 
ments. On feeling in the straight direction, two holes on the 
upper surface presented themselves, sufficiently large for the fore¬ 
finger to pass through, and the intestine was abraded in two or 
three other places. I then examined the other horse, who like¬ 
wise had his rectum lacerated in several places, but none pene¬ 
trated through the coats: in the one about twelve, in the other 
eighteen inches from the anus. I now considered both cases 
hopeless, and during the night the horses died. 
Post-mortem Examination .—In consequence of this affair ex¬ 
citing considerable alarm in the neighbourhood, Mr. G. Money- 
nient, V. S., Norwich, was requested to attend at the examina¬ 
tion. We found, on removing the abdominal muscles, consider¬ 
able effusion, arising from peritoneal inflammation. The perito¬ 
neum exhibited greater signs of inflammatory action on the 
visceral than on the parietal portion, more particularly on the 
rectum, caecum, and colon. The symphysis pubis being cut 
through, and the hand passed up the rectum, the finger was 
seen to penetrate its coats on the under part, as the horse lay on 
his back. On dissecting it out, the villous coat was lacerated in 
three separate places, beside two where the intestine was forced 
through. The inflammation had not extended along the villous 
