ON STRANGLES. 
599 
tation, yet I was led to believe, from even the imperfect know¬ 
ledge that I have of that important diagnostic assistant, that the 
chest was not the part principally diseased, but that the mischief 
was somewhere behind the diaphragm—perhaps connected with 
the liver, or mesentery, or both. 
A blister was directed to be applied on one side, and when the 
effect of that was gone off a second was applied to the other 
side, so as to keep up a continual action upon the skin. The 
medicine was continued. At this time the scrotum beo:an to 
swell, and, under the impression that matter would form there, 
I directed that fomentations should be applied, and slight stimu¬ 
lating liniment rubbed in. 
This treatment was continued for nine days, and although the 
medicine seemed to control the action of the heart, the pulse 
being low^ered to 50, still there appeared to be no improvement 
of the general health. The colt lost flesh, and his countenance 
betrayed that all was not right within. The medicine was 
•changed for bark, digitalis, and camphor, and, as the blisters on 
each side were nearly well, a large rowel was inserted in the 
chest. 
Under this plan the colt appeared to rally for about ten days, 
and the groom entertained hopes of his recovery. The improve¬ 
ment, however, w'as transient: although he continued to eat, 
and had, through the w'hole of his complaint, eaten a very toler¬ 
able allow ance of food, yet he again rapidly sunk, and upon the 
8d of August he died. 
Post-mortem examination .—The peritoneal coat of the large 
intestines was slightly inflamed ; a great portion of the omentum 
had entirely lost its character; it was strangely thickened, and 
adhered to the diaphragm and peritoneum; and a large tumour 
had formed in the middle of it, which, w’hen opened, was found 
to contain from two to three quarts of pus. A quantity of serous 
fluid W'as effused into the abdomen, and, when w’e began to re¬ 
move the intestines, pus flowed in large quantities into the abdo¬ 
men. On tracing the source of this, we found that it came from 
large abscesses that had formed within thickenings or folds of 
the mesentery, or tumours attached to it; and I have no doubt 
but that at least a gallon of pus had flowed from and w'as con¬ 
tained in these abscesses. On examining the intestines, it was 
discovered that about six inches of the ileum were contracted, 
and its coats thickened; the contraction was so great, that I 
could scarcely get my finder into it. About nine inches of 
that part of the colon w'here it naturally becomes narrow wras 
also much contracted, and would scarcely admit a finger. The 
dung that was contained in this part of the gut was in small dry 
