RUPTURE OP THE DIAPHHAGM OP A HORSE. 
509 
in a pint of gruel, also administered a clyster, and ordered it 
to be repeated every two hours. 
5 p.m.—Pulse very indistinct. Mouth, nose, and extre¬ 
mities cold. The sighing is more frequent, and twdtchings 
of the muscles have come on. Blood continues to flow from 
his nostrils at intervals. The abdomen is more distended, 
and slight griping pains are present. He staggers when his 
head is elevated. 
Gave— 
Turpentine, ijij; 
Sp. iEtlier. Nit., 3 J; 
01 . Lini, §viij. 
Ordeied the clysters to be continued. 
I told the owner that there was very little chance'of reco¬ 
very, and that I suspected a rupture of some of the internal 
viscera existed, most probably of the diaphragm. 
JO p.m.—Found him very much worse. The coachman 
said that he had been sweating profusely during my absence. 
He was now suffering severe abdominal pain, and w hen down 
was unable to rise without assistance. The bowels had not 
acted, and it was evident he w r ould not last long. At about 
tw elve o'clock death put an end to his sufferings. 
Post-mortem .—In consequence of death taking place at 
midnight on Saturday, I could not have him opened until the 
Monday morning, when I found the bowels much distended 
with gas, but containing very little alimentary matter. On 
removing the intestines, I observed a rent in the diaphragm 
at least eighteen inches in length. It extended from the 
centre part of the viscus to the left side. A portion of the 
colon had protruded through the opening into the cavity of 
the chest, and became partially strangulated. The lungs 
■were very much congested, but with this exception no tho¬ 
racic disease existed. 
It is worthy of observation that this horse was supposed 
to be ee broken winded" for several months previous to his 
death. This, I am inclined to believe, might depend upon a 
small rent existing in the diaphragm. If so, then we can 
understand how 7 the lesion might become suddenly increased in 
size, and led to the quick termination of the animal's life. 
