251 
PROLAPSE OF THE RECTUM. 
By the same. 
Sunday , March 14, 1852.— About eight o’clock in the 
morning I was requested to attend a horse belonging to Messrs. 
S -. 1 went, and found that he had been cast during the 
night, and in struggling violently to release himself, had forced 
out of the anus nearly a foot of the rectum, which looked of a 
dark purple hue, and was very much distended with air. They 
had with difficulty got him up when I saw him. He seemed 
very much exhausted with struggling, was bathed with per¬ 
spiration, and could scarcely move his hind quarters. 1 or¬ 
dered some warm milk and water, and washed off pieces of 
straw and dung clinging to the intestine; then, by a kind of 
taxis , I worked up the intestine through the anus, and after¬ 
wards passed my hand in to feel if it was straight. I ordered 
him to be clothed up and kept quiet, and to have nothing but 
some thin gruel or linseed tea. He drank very little of either 
during the day. 
I went round several times in the course of the morning, and 
found him standing perfectly quiet and easy. About 4 o’clock 
in the afternoon I first observed him to begin to be uneasy, 
crouching as if to lie down, seeming to be in pain. The pulse 
was quick and intermittent. 1 passed my hand up the rectum, 
to feel if there was any obstruction there, and drew away some 
pieces of hard dung : this appeared to afford him temporary 
ease. I then threw up an enema of warm milk and water, 
which was retained some time; he then seemed easier. About 
an hour afterwards I saw him again, when he seemed in great 
pain. I bled him to as much as he could bear, and gave an 
ounce of tinct. opii in a pint and a half of linseed oil. About 
eight o’clock in the evening I saw him again : he was now 
down, struggling in violent pain, unable to get up without help. 
When we had lifted him up, I had him well fomented with 
large pieces of flannel (large enough to cover the whole of the 
abdomen) wrung out of hot water, with a man on each side to 
keep them up close to the abdomen. This was persevered in 
for some hours, and seemed to afford him great relief; so 
that when I left him, at eleven o’clock at night, he seemed 
quite easy. 
Monday morning , six o'clock .—Still standing, and seemed 
easy. I gave him frequent enemas during the day, and or¬ 
dered him to have a pailful of thin gruel standing in the 
manger before him. He remained tranquil throughout the day, 
and drank none of his gruel. 
