A DOUBTFUL CASE. 
317 
change of symptoms having taken place, we advised the owner 
to have him destroyed. This was effected by means of blowing 
into the jugular vein. 
The post-mortem Appearances. —Upon laying open the 
abdominal and thoracic cavities, the peritoneal covering pre¬ 
sented nothing abnormal. I commenced an examination of those 
organs immediately concerned in the function of digestion. The 
mucous membrane lining the stomach was more or less injected, 
and, apparently, some gangrenous patches were visible. The 
continuation of the alimentary canal throughout its entire course, 
was in an injected condition; presenting, also, the various 
gangrenous tints, from a light pink to the darkest brown. Upon 
dissecting off the mucous coat from such portions of the intestines 
as had been markedly inflamed, the muscular coat was scarcely 
involved. The chymous mass in the stomach, when cut through, 
presented alternate layers of comminuted hay and bran. There 
was some feculent matter in some of the large intestines. The 
kidneys were normal; as were also the liver, spleen, pancreas, 
&c. The lungs were slightly affected, the left lobe being 
covered with a large number of petechial spots, and upon cutting 
into the substance it appeared somewhat congested. All other 
viscera that were examined were normal. 
Observations. —Was this animal suffering from a disease 
now known by the term of gastro-enteritis ! If so, I may pre¬ 
sume to add, that it was confined to the mucous coat of the 
stomach and intestines, and that the muscular coat was not in¬ 
volved, as the term gastro-enteritis would indicate. 
The first question that presents itself, then, is, “ What are 
the probable causes which produced the affection 1 ” The 
second, “ Was the disease in an incipient form prior to the 
animal being 1 laired’ in the bog!” The third, “Was the treat¬ 
ment judicious and founded upon general principles, so far as 
was warranted by the symptoms evinced by the patient!” 
In reply to question number one, I would refer to the best 
hypotheses to inform me what anatomy and physiology de¬ 
monstrate to be practicable. Might the long-continued ap¬ 
plication of water of a low temperature so derange the functions 
of the body, and that of the skin in particular, as to arrest the 
powers of that organ, and thereby call upon the mucous mem¬ 
branes to excrete the serous or excrementitious portion of the 
blood. If so, there may be at once obtained irritation, and sub¬ 
sequent inflammation of those membranes, that would finally 
terminate in sphacelus. 
In replying to question number two, I can only reason hypo¬ 
thetically, and compare the symptoms of this disease with those 
that have been recorded by scientific practitioners. D’Arboval 
