254 
STHANGLES. 
sixth cervical vertebrse, which circumstance endangers the life of 
the animal by forming a mechanical obstruction to the cesophagean 
canal. Of course, the proper treatment in these cases, is to support 
the animal with nutritious fluids until the pus can be evacuated by 
opening the abscess. 
But the recognition of the formation of an abscess in the vital 
organs, the mesentery, or mesenteric glands, is at present involved in 
obscurity; and if you imagine that the following successful case 
(which I suppose was a tumefaction of a mesenteric gland) should 
be calculated to shed one single ray of light on so important a sub¬ 
ject, you are at liberty to give it a place in the next number of The 
Veterinarian. 
On the 5th Sept. 1839, my attendance was requested to a grey 
mare, which some time previously had been attacked slightly with 
strangles. She was occasionally lying down, and slightly off her 
feed, as if labouring under some chronic abdominal pain. As her 
pulse was not much disturbed, or the bowels confined, I was not 
apprehensive of its being a formidable case, and modified the treat¬ 
ment with fever medicines and an occasional alterative dose of 
calomel, down to the 14th, at which period an oily mixture was 
given, which acted freely on the bowels, and while the aperient 
was operating, it apparently effected a remission of the abdominal 
pain. But when the faeces became of their natural consistence, 
after the cartharsis, the mare Avas generally down, and turning her 
head to her flank; the pulse began to vary, both in tone and fre¬ 
quency ; the appetitite became more impaired—the eyes dull—the 
countenance depressed—and the coat staring, and harsh to the feel. 
Although the attack of strangles had been a slight one, we 
began strongly to suspect that the case was one of the sequela of 
of that disorder; and when we observed a small pellet or two of 
excrement that had been voided, and which was covered with thick 
mucus, and compressed as if it had been retained in a contracted 
portion of the bowels, these suspicions were in some measure con¬ 
firmed. This circumstance, coupled Avith the other indications of 
abdominal pain, led me to suspect an enlargement of a mesenteric 
gland or glands, and induced me to point out to my employer what 
I supposed to be the nature of the case, and also to suggest the 
propriety of testing the effect of the hydriodate of potash. 
On the 19th, half a drachm of the hydriodate, and a drachm of 
powdered ginger were formed into a ball with linseed meal and 
treacle, and given daily for several days, until we perceived some 
slight remission in the symptoms; after which some gentian and 
Peruvian bark were added to the formula, and given every alter¬ 
nate day till the 10th of Oct., at which period we considered the 
mare sufficiently recovered to discontinue the medicines. 
