SPASMODIC ACTION OF THE DIAPHRAGM. 
21 
was requested about nine A. m. The horse appeared to be in 
great agony ; rolling, pawing, &c. very violently : the pulse was 
about fifty, flowing in a full stream ; his mouth was rather dry, 
which I attributed, in some measure, to the gin and ale. I gave 
him an antispasmodic mixture, and copious clysters of soap 
and water; friction was applied to the belly, &c. without any 
avail. About twelve o’clock, Ib.vi of blood were abstracted, h’s 
belly stimulated with mustard and the oil of turpentine; and the 
infusion of tobacco given in a clyster; after which he voided two 
hard balls of excrement, covered with mucus. The pain, however, 
continued violent, and the following mixture was given : Dissolve 
two drachms of Castile soap in four ounces of boiling water, and 
gradually add twelve ounces of linseed oil, thirty drops of the 
croton oil, and half an ounce of laudanum. I desired the peo¬ 
ple about him to give clysters of warm water every hour until the 
pain was abated, and to place warm white-water before him; 
and if he was not relieved in three hours, to let me know. 
I was informed in the morning of the 12th, that the horse was 
going on well; that he appeared free from pain, and became 
tranquil in about two hours after the medicine was given; also 
that he had drank some white water, and ate a mash in the 
night. 
I called during the day, and found him standing, apparently 
free from abdominal pain, but he seemed to be languid ; the 
pulse was irregular, and rather accelerated, with the bowels lax. 
Some anodyne fever medicine was given, and the white water 
and mashes continued. 
During the next twenty-four hours his appetite and appear¬ 
ance had so much improved, that the gentleman ^considered any 
further attendance of mine unnecessary. In the afternoon, how¬ 
ever, the servant heard a beating in the stable, but paid no at¬ 
tention to it, and left the horse until the evening, when he was 
alarmed by the increased noise and the violent working of the 
horse’s body; and immediately came to fetch me. On my arri¬ 
val the horse was lying on the off-side, evidently in the greatest 
distress; his whole body was jerking; and the jerking to be 
most distinctly traced in the direction of the diaphragm, as in 
the former cases. The pulsations of the submaxillary artery 
were scarcely perceptible, and the general appearance of the horse 
indicated a speedy dissolution. 1 left my patient, and sent two 
drachms of carbonate of ammonia, made into a ball with linseed 
meal and treacle, which was given between eleven and twelve 
o’clock ; but death closed the scene soon afterwards. I was not 
present when the body was opened, but I was informed that the 
viscera were quite healthy. 
