14 
ON CHOKING IN HORSES AND CATTLE. 
In illustration of this subject, I shall now relate a case or two 
which I have witnessed. 1 was, some years ago, as I was acci¬ 
dentally passing, called in to the horse of a coach proprietor. 
The owner said, his horse had a bad sore throat, and could not 
swallow.’’ He could not swallow ; in fact, he did not even make 
an attempt, on severe compression. The history being, that he 
had worked and fed well the preceding day, and the oesophagus, 
as far as it could be examined, appearing without any obstruc¬ 
tion, I did not suspect the real cause. He was blistered and 
drenched, but without any good effect; all the liquids returning 
without any effort to swallow. On the third day after I first 
saw him, he died. I much wished to ascertain the cause of the 
obstruction, which proved to be a large ball of tobacco—ashes 
wrapped up in a double paper, and which rested in the oesopha¬ 
gus, about half way between its entrance into the chest and the 
stomach. All knowledge of its having been given was stoutly 
denied ; but it was afterwards confessed that the nostrum was 
exhibited as a supposed remedy for worms. Had I not trusted 
to the history of the attendants, I have every reason to think the 
probang would have relieved this horse, for, the substance having 
descended so far, a small power applied would have sent it on. 
A cause of choking, and which has killed many horses, like¬ 
wise exists in a notion that new-laid eggs will improve condition. 
I believe the practice is, previously to giving the egg, to star the 
shell in a few places ; and when the shell has not been sufficiently 
weakened to yield to the pressure of the parts, the mischief en¬ 
sues. 
I was once called to a very violent horse with supposed sore 
throat. He had taken nothing for two days. The attendant 
swore he could not account for it; but as the animal had every 
general indication of health (the complaint excepted), I gave lit¬ 
tle credit to his statement. I had the horse brought to my 
stable, and, having properly secured him, passed the probang 
with, at first, some little resistance in the passage. On its re¬ 
turn from the mouth, the bulb was literally covered with frag¬ 
ments of egg-shell. The horse was soon well. If this egg had 
not been weakened, I doubt whether the quiet introduction of the 
instrument would have broken it down in that situation. 
I have heard of two cases in cattle practice, which I could depend 
on, where death took place, and the cause proved to be in each of 
them an egg plugging up the passage. 
I am scribbling on—but if you think I have gone far enough, 
you must cut away or cauterize, which you like best. 
A patient was brought to me late at night, that was said to be 
choked by a piece of Swedish turnip. He had all the symptoms 
