201 
ABSCESS IN THE COATS OF THE STOMACH OF 
A MARE.—A SEQUELA OF EPIDEMIC CATARRH. 
Bv R. Hudson, M.R.C.V.S., Retford. 
An unfortunate case came under my notice in the autumn 
of last year. It was that of a five-year-old good cart-mare. 
All the working horses on the farm, consisting of five or six, 
were attacked with epidemic catarrh. In the mare adverted 
to, the abscesses at the jaw were longer in forming than in 
the others, and the discharge continued longer; the animal, 
also, lost more flesh, and on that account, and being the best 
mare, she was turned out to grass for a little while, and then 
put to slight work. After being at work a day or two, at 
times she showed symptoms of colic, and when I was sent 
for, on the 26th of October last, the pain seemed of a sub¬ 
acute character, but it did not leave her quiet for long to¬ 
gether. Thinking it might arise from the work and change 
of diet, I gave an anodyne draught and an aperient ball, and 
saw her again on the 28th. The aperient had acted slightly, 
but she seemed very dull, weak, and in pain. I offered her 
a little water, and after taking two or three mouthfuls she 
made two decided attempts to vomit, but which I at the 
time took for choking. I had her led gently out into the 
paddock, to see if she would attempt to graze. After walk¬ 
ing perhaps twenty or thirty paces, she laid down quietly, 
and in a natural position, as the lad was leading her. She 
showed no symptoms of pain when down, snapped at the 
grass now and then, and rose again with a little urging. I 
told my employer that there might be abscesses forming in¬ 
ternally, and her chance of recovery was very small. I also 
considered that the formation of the abscesses might be near 
the oesophagus, from her showing symptoms of vomiting or 
choking. Qn the 28th she ate moderately, and on the 29th 
was not seen to show that unfavorable symptom any more. 
She ate most of her supper at night, but was found dead in 
the morning, and so cold that death must have taken place 
early in the night. 
I attended the autopsy on the 30th. On opening the 
cavity of the abdomen, the cause was at once plainly seen; 
there being nearly a barrowful of food among the intestines 
and a large rent was found in the stomach, whence it had 
issued. Among the food which remained in the stomach 
there was some purulent matter, which caused me to look 
more minutely, and I found a hole which would admit a wal- 
