16 
A QUANTITY OF NEEDLES AND FISH-HOOKS 
FOUND IN THE INTESTINES AND VARIOUS 
PARTS OF THE BODY OF A MARE. 
By T. P. Boulton, M.R.C.V.S., Bromsgrove. 
The history of the morbid parts sent is as follows : 
On the 8th of September last I was requested to see a 
gray draught-mare, eight years old, in good condition, the 
property of Mr. Parson Shirley, of Webheath, near Redditch. 
On my arrival, I found the animal suffering from abdominal 
pains, and exhibiting symptoms of a very acute character. 
I proceeded to examine the patient, and detected two sharp- 
pointed needles protruding from her side, between the last 
two false ribs ; these I, of course, extracted. I then back- 
raked her, and found much faecal matter in the rectum, hard, 
coated with mucus, and streaked with blood. On emptying the 
bladder the urine was rather high coloured. I gave a glyster 
of soap and water, with solution of aloes, and ordered the 
repetition of it every three hours. I then placed the animal 
in a loose box, administered an antispasmodic draught, 
had the legs bandaged, and oi’dered fomentations to be 
applied to the abdomen. Finding but little relief, I ex¬ 
hibited six drachms of Barbadoes aloes with half a drachm of 
calomel; and the pulse being from 65 to 70, I abstracted 
four quarts of blood from the jugular vein. 
On the morning of the 9th I again visited my patient, 
when 1 found that the spasmodic pains had abated, the pulse 
and conjunctival membranes were more natural, but the mouth 
was still hot and feverish. I ordered warm water to be given, 
with hay tea, scalded hay, bran mashes, linseed, and a few 
oats; each in turn to be tried, my object being to encourage 
the animal to eat. As the bowels were relaxed, I only gave 
a fever ball. 
On the 10th I saw her again. The visible mucous mem¬ 
branes were injected and very yellow, the mouth hot and 
filled with saliva, pulse 54, extremities cold, back arched, 
coat erect, with a troublesome cough; respiration short and 
quick. I applied a mustard and vinegar poultice over the 
throat and chest, and ordered the head to be well steamed, 
also to continue the enemata, as the bowels were now again 
torpid. Subsequently I injected a gU^ster composed of two 
ounces of Cape aloes, dissolved in six quarts of gruel, with a 
view to empty the rectum, as the faeces were quite hard and 
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