458 
RUPTURED HEART OF A HORSE. 
good bit of steamed hay. Some faeces have been passed, 
which were in a natural state, and he has twice urinated 
freely. Ordered the rugs to be discontinued, and the abdomen 
to be rubbed dry, and a mustard cataplasm to be applied to 
the loins and abdomen. He was then moved to his own 
stall, where he very soon laid down, and remained 
apparently very eas} 7 , for about two hours, when he got up, 
and laid down directly on the other side. He seemed now 
to be quite free from pain. After he had been down 
about an hour, I left, hoping to see him better on my next 
visit, and requested the man to call me if he should get 
worse. 
6 a.m.—The man has called to say that the horse has 
become much worse very suddenly. Or. my arrival, I found 
him in great pain, pawing, looking back at his flanks, rolling, 
and not quiet for a minute; the pulse imperceptible at 
the jaw, but not at the heart ; the visible mucous mem¬ 
branes still more injected; the respiration quick and laborious ; 
the extremities and surface of the body bedewed with cold 
perspiration. Prognosis unfavorable. Discontinued all 
treatment. The animal continued to be in great pain until 
the evening, when he died. 
Post-mortem appearances .—The stomach had an extensive 
patch of inflammation around the small curvature, which had 
involved all its coats. The caecum and colon were exceed¬ 
ingly inflamed throughout their whole extent. The whole of 
the other viscera (with the exception of the heart, kidneys, 
and spleen, which I have sent you) were quite healthy. 
[We regret to say that the morbid parts arrived in such a 
state of decomposition that it was impossible satisfactorily 
to examine them; which being communicated to Mr. James, 
the following letter was received from him.] 
Haverfordwest; 1 lay 3, 18C0. 
Dear Sir, —I am sorry I could not see Mr. Powell’s 
groom so as to obtain the history of the horse previous to his 
illness, or I should have replied to your very kind letter ere 
this. Mr. Powell bought the horse about six months ago of 
a gentleman in this county, who bred him. He was rather 
low in condition then; but since he had improved very 
much, fed well, and performed his work to his owner’s 
perfect satisfaction up to the day before he was taken ill, 
when he was observed by the groom not to eat his corn as 
usual. 
