28 
STRANGE CASE ON 
It was evident from this that the healing could only take place 
either by the union of the ligaments or through anchylosis of the 
articulation. The latter was the most probable; and to favour it 
the ligaments were incised and irritated,- and the tail brought into 
a more horizontal position. But no progress was made in the 
healing, and the nervous twitchings greatly increased. 
Four weeks were in this way passed in trouble and anxiety. 
The first and third incisions were completely closed and healed, 
but the middle one now had assumed a fistulous aspect. And the 
nervous twitching, through fear, of the animal when approached 
was so great, that the perspiration poured off from it. This led to 
a supposition that matter was forming in some part which might 
be pressing against some of the caudal nerves, as it was not likely 
that the inflammation of the bone, or even the surface of the articu¬ 
lation, could be the cause of such intense sufferings. Accordingly, 
the wound was laid open in every direction; but no matter was 
found in any part. The whole was freely cauterized with the 
actual cautery ; but for this it was found necessary to have the 
horse cast, as it was difficult enough to approach him at best. 
The tail now began to swell enormously; the swelling extended 
upwards to the croup; the animal, from being restless, became 
furious with pain; he was constantly pawing and stamping with 
both his hind and fore legs; he blew, snorted, and was constantly 
anxiously turning his head towards the seat of his intense pain. 
The probability was that the case would terminate in gangrene of 
the parts, since the skin of the tail was very tense and shining, 
and there appeared something like vesicles in some places. All 
approach to the animal in this state of intense suffering was next 
to impossible, so that no careful examination could be attempted. 
The narcotic fomentations which had been applied hitherto were 
now changed to aromatics, with the addition of ammonia and spirits 
of wine; the parts were also deeply scarified. But it was all 
in vain : the animal became more and more furious; he would 
neither eat nor drink, and was constantly covered with a white 
lather, from a profuse perspiration produced by the intense pain 
and maddening excitation. This state lasted fourteen days without 
the least change. The Major now made up his mind to have the 
horse destroyed, though it was proposed to him to amputate the 
whole of the tail as a dernier resource. The mode of destruction 
was left to M. Reichert, who, for some reason or other, though he 
had destroved horses by various means, such as the introduction 
1/ v 
of atmospheric air in the jugular vein, hydrocyanic acid internally, 
and divers other means, decided on employing arsenic. From 
the time of the operation to the day fixed for his destruction, ten 
