134 DEATH FROM AN ABSCESS IN THE SUBMUCOUS TISSUE. 
OBSERVATIONS ON THE CASE. 
Bv Assistant-Professor Vahnell. 
The preceding case is, in my opinion, well worth record¬ 
ing, for, as I have previously stated in the pages of the 
Veterinarian , all abnormities which interfere with the im¬ 
portant function of respiration should, as far as possible, be 
investigated, and more especially those which are of an 
unusual character. Similar cases to the one in question 
have come under our notice ; yet it must nevertheless be 
admitted, that they are by no means common. The records 
of such cases also cannot fail to assist us in our diagnosis of 
others which are complicated in their character. If the 
practice of giving publicity to unusual cases were adopted 
to a greater extent than it is by members of our profession, 
not only would a great mutual benefit be derived by all, but 
it may be said that the members thereby would become, as it 
were, one large family, a result highly desirable and much to 
be wished. 
Individuallv I feel to be under an obligation to Mr. 
Stephenson, and also to other friends in the profession for 
occasionally giving me the benefit of their experience, and for 
sending me the histories of some of their more interesting 
cases. 
In the museum of the College there are two preparations 
of portions of the trachea of horses, in which similar abscesses 
existed to the one described by Mr. Stevenson. In one of them, 
however, the abscess had opened into the passage by ulcera¬ 
tion of the mucous membrane. 
A few days since, while some of the pupils were engaged in 
dissecting the air-passages of an aged horse, they discovered 
an abscess in the posterior part of the trachea, between the 
transverse muscle and the back part of the tube, extending 
nearly to half its entire length. This doubtless caused great 
difficulty in breathing, but to what extent I do not know, 
not having seen the horse alive. 
Mr. Stephenson does not state, and I think most likely he 
was not aware of, the cause which gave rise to the abscess in 
his case, neither am I aware that the cause is positively 
known which produced the disease in either of the specimens 
contained in our museum. I believe, however, that the 
disease is thought to have been caused by external violence 
to the front part of the neck, and I can readily understand 
that such might have been the case. Other causes also may 
be in operation which would produce suppurative action. It 
