RUPTURE OF THE BLADDER IN A MARE FROM 
FOALING, AND DISLOCATION OF THE FOAL’S 
NECK. 
By W. Furnivall, M.R.C.V.S., Kington. 
April 10th, 9 a.m., I was requested to attend at the Sheep- 
cot Farm, distant ten miles from here, to see a brown, six- 
year old cart mare, that had dropped her horse foal fourteen 
days before her time, and who appeared to be in dreadful agony 
since a quarter past four a.m. I immediately responded to 
the summons, and on riding into the yard, saw the owner, 
Mr. Thomas Edwards, standing at the stable door. He told 
me the mare died half an hour after the messenger was des¬ 
patched. 
History .—This mare was in good condition, had gained 
prizes at three local Agricultural Meetings, for her symmetry 
and great power, and had had two foals prior to this one; 
but both were dead when dropped, although at their full 
time. 
The waggoner entered the cart stable at four a.m., where 
the mare stood with five other horses, when he perceived the 
foal hanging from the mare, the hips being fast in the 
passage. He removed her at once into an empty stable, and 
called the owner. During the waggoner’s absence the mare 
heaved violently (so the boy attendant on her states), and 
ejected the foal, which alighting on its head, dislocated the 
second and third cervical vertebrae, and it did not move 
afterwards. The mare then commenced throwing herself 
about and breathing quickly, striking at her abdomen with 
the hind legs, and when up, reeling like an intoxicated ani¬ 
mal. She was bled, and had a bottle of a Day’s Gaseous 
Fluid” (consisting principally of turpentine) given to her; 
after which she soon became worse, and fell down as if 
shot, and died shortly after. 
Autopsy at 11 a.m.—Every organ was found to be per¬ 
fectly healthy both in the thorax and abdomen, with the 
exception of the bladder, which was ruptured to the extent 
of three inches, and the urine it contained had necessarily 
escaped into the peritoneal sac; hence the great agony the 
animal evinced. 
