141 
CASE OF A PIN FOUND IN THE HEART OF 
A COW. 
By R. Hudson, M.R.C.V.S., Retford. 
On the 9th of December the servant of Miss Bigsby, who 
keeps a dairy farm about a mile from here, came for an 
aperient drink for a cow, which he said had obstructed 
bowels from eating inferior hay. He also said that she had 
lost both cud and appetite. On the Uth he informed me 
that the cow was no better, and he requested me to come and 
see her. I found that the aperient had not acted in the least, 
and that she had passed but little faeculent matter for the 
last day or two. The faeces which were voided were quite 
hard and glazed. Two or three days ago she gave a gallon 
of milk twice a day, but this morning not more than a tea¬ 
cupful. Her skin had lost its pliancy and seemed fixed 
tightly to the ribs ; the pulse was weak and quick, the respi¬ 
ration somewhat accelerated, and the horns, ears, and 
extremities rather cold. The animal was rather low in flesh, 
and had also a slight cough. 
Having satisfied myself that the animal was not the subject 
of 4 pleuro-pneumoniaf I looked upon the case as one of 
indigestion, associated with constipated bowels. Under these 
circumstances, I sent another aperient, and also a full dose 
of oil. I saw her again the next day, and as the bowels had 
as yet only acted very slightly I repeated the aperient. 
On the 14th, I was informed that the bowels were open, 
and that the cow seemed better, and inclined to pick a few 
slices of turnips, or occasionally a little hay and cake. She, 
however, gave no milk. I did not see her again until the 
18th, when I found that she had shrunk a good deal in flesh, 
the respiration was now short and quick, countenance dejected, 
and the pulse small, with a sharp and wiry feel. I felt 
certain of something being very wrong, and suspected the 
heart to be implicated in the disease. The appetite being 
bad, and rumination suspended, I sent her two doses of 
carminative and tonic medicine, with some Sod. Sesq. Carb. 
On the 22nd, I saw her again. There was no improvement. 
The bowels were again constipated, and a marked alteration 
had taken place in the action of the heart. Hitherto it had 
pulsated feebly, but now it beat louder, and at a distance 
sounded as though surrounded with water. An oleaginous 
aperient was given. 
On the 24th, the sound of the heart was lost altogether, 
