538 
ON THE STOMACHS OF RUMINANTS. 
and inflammatory nature, whereby the vital energy is impaired or 
diverted to other parts. When rumination is suspended fermen¬ 
tation may take place, and now and then cause our patient to 
swell; but, in other respects, the contents of the stomachs remain, 
under ordinary treatment (as the learned have it), in statu 
quo,’^ till death or a reaction takes place (a return of the quid or 
cud, as it is called, is so much to be desired as a proof of approach¬ 
ing recovery, that old women talk of taking a quid out of an¬ 
other’s mouth, to supply the place of what they say is lost). To 
the above I am inclined to add another cause, but I do it with 
fear and trembling,” viz. the shutting up in a strange place or 
without company ; or is it that the paunch cannot get rid of its 
whole contents ? for I am told, and which I believe^ that if a 
beast is fasted two days before slaughtering, the rumen will still 
contain some quantity ; and as to those cases where disease has 
been the cause of death, I never met with one in which it did 
not contain a considerable quantity ; and I find cattle, especially 
at pasture, will eat after they have ceased to ruminate. 
I now proceed to make a few observations on my cases, pub¬ 
lished in your May number; and, to begin, must say, that I 
was surprised to see that you named them, cases of inflamma¬ 
tion of the mucous membraneand I am still more so, that 
Mr. F. should think them cases of indigestion, overlooking, as 
you and Mr. F. must, appearances of much more serious disease ; 
for, as regards the bowel affection, there was no sign of pain 
while living, or appearance of active inflammation when dead ; 
and as to the state of the stomachs, there was no appearance of 
hoove while living, or of over-distention when dead ; consequently, 
that could not irritate and produce disease of the heart, lungs, 
liver, kidneys, and bowels. 
I find I shall not have space for many remarks on the cases 
in question ; but I thought them extraordinary, and that there 
were some appearances not referrible to ordinary inflammatory 
action ; for instance, there was no expression of pain or difficulty 
in breathing; there was general warmth, and secretion of saliva ; 
the state of the liver, without any blood in it, of a soft spongy 
texture, and bright yellow colour ; the gall bladder full of thick 
bile, as though the secretion had continued after its discharge 
into the bowels had ceased, and after the action of the absorb¬ 
ents had ceased, ^s there was no discolouration of the fat and 
other white parts of the body; the state of the kidneys, and 
part of the bowels, that of disorganization; the quantity and 
appearance of the mucus different from what is seen in ordinary 
disease. 
As to treatment, I believe both cases were past recovery before 
