ABSCESS OF THE OESOPHAGUS. 
261 
stance of abscess existing in the submucous tissue of the 
trachea, whereas mine was an abscess between the muscular 
and cellular coats of the oesophagus. The following are the 
particulars. 
I was requested to attend a bay filly, which, the groom 
told me, had been very uneasy during the whole morning, 
and had been rolling. Being unable to go at the time, I 
gave him two antispasmodic draughts, with the necessary di¬ 
rections, adding I would come and see the animal as soon 
as possible. 
On arriving there, about two hours afterwards, I found the 
filly much relieved, but still pawing the ground now and 
then. I gave her four drachms of aloes in a ball, and left 
her, with instructions that should she evince indications of 
being worse they were to let me know. 
The next morning she appeared a little dull, but this I 
attributed to the aloes. She had eaten her mashes, had lain 
down in the night, and appeared anxious to join her com¬ 
panions in the yard. Such being the case, I told the groom 
I did not think it was necessary for me to see her again, and 
left her, to all appearance, quite convalescent. 
On the following day, however, I was again requested to 
see her, as she had been pawing the ground all night, and the 
saliva was running from her mouth. 
The symptoms evinced to-day were more those of sore 
throat than colic. The pulse was increased to 60, the 
breathing slightly disturbed, saliva flowing from the mouth, 
eye staring, head depressed, languor, and she was continually 
making slight attempts to swallow; she had not eaten any¬ 
thing, and on giving her a little water, part of it came back 
through the nostrils. I carefully examined the throat and 
the whole course of the oesophagus, but was unable to ex¬ 
tract anything abnormal. The next day she was the same, 
and still had not eaten anything. I found it useless to give 
medicine, as it was all returned through the nostrils. On 
seeing the animal the day after, I was convinced that she 
would not live out the day. The pulse was imperceptible ; and 
she was continually making spasmodic gulps, as if to get rid 
of something in the throat. I gave her some more water, 
which she tried to swallow, but the greater part of it came 
back as before, and caused intense pain; indeed, I thought 
she would have been suffocated. She walked round and 
round her box, gave one of those peculiar gulps, bringing 
her nose to her chest and shrieking out with agony. Having- 
brought a probang with me, I determined to pass it down 
the oesophagus. I did not meet with any obstruction to its 
xxxiii. 35 
