188 
RUPTURE OF THE DIAPHRAGM. 
On the arrival of the knacker, at about 2 p.m., I again 
attended, as I wished to be present at the post-mortem exa¬ 
mination. The abdomen being laid open, it was found 
to contain a large quantity of fluid blood, of a dark venous 
colour, with which were mingled several masses of coagulated 
blood, the whole amounting to three or four gallons at the 
least. It was at once apparent that a rupture either of an 
important blood-vessel or of some of the viscera had taken 
place. The stomach was found to be filled to repletion with 
the food, showing that the animal had partaken of his usual 
provender up to a short time of his death. On passing my 
hand into the abdomen, near to the diaphragm, I imme¬ 
diately detected an extensive rent of this organ ; and on re¬ 
moving thestomach and bowels, it wasfoundthat thediaphragm 
was torn into two parts, the lesion extending diagonally from 
the spine to the left infero-lateral portion of the viscus. 
While I was examining the parts which had been removed, 
a medical gentleman, a relative of the owner, who happened 
to call just at the time, directed the heart and lungs to 
be taken out, and, very much to my annoyance, he made in¬ 
cisions into the heart, as you will perceive, as I was thereby 
prevented forwarding it to you in such a state as I could 
have wished. He was of opinion, from his examination, 
that one of the cavae had ruptured, and that the blood 
pressing upon the diaphragm had, subsequently to the death, 
produced the rent of this viscus. This statement was 
not quite satisfactory to me, and I endeavoured to point 
out to him that the diaphragm being very muscular as well 
as tendinous where it was torn, that great haemorrhage 
would necessarily follow such a lesion. The gentleman 
failed to point out the particular vessel which had given 
way, nor could I detect anything of the kind, but he said it 
must be one of the cavae, because it was evidently venous 
blood which was extravasated. 
I would beg to ask you, Messrs. Editors, that, supposing 
the horse to have fallen while asleep with the stomach in 
such a state of repletion as his was, whether it would not be 
more likely to cause a rupture of the diaphragm, than a pressure 
of blood from the giving way of the cava, or the cutting of 
the corn three or four days before ? I venture to solicit vour 
opinion, because both these things are by the different parties 
regarded as the cause of the rupture of the diaphragm. 
[The parts sent by Mr. Hawes consisted of the heart and 
a portion of the diaphragm. 
The former appeared to be quite healthy, but as the roots 
