NEEDLES AND FISH-HOOKS IN THE INTESTINES. 17 
of a dark colour. I gave half a pint of castor oil, with 
two ounces of tincture of opium. 
On the 11th I found all the symptoms more favorable, 
and the bowels responding. I gave a mild stimulant, ordered 
succulent diet, and the aniinal to be drenched occasionally with 
gruel. The linseed and the hay tea were also to be allowed, 
as the appetite was still failing. 
On the 12th she showed slight spasms, but had taken a 
little more food. I gave some tincture of opium with spirit 
of nitric ether. 
On the 13th I found her rather better. Gave a tonic, and 
ordered a little'germinated barley and a few chopped carrots, 
so as to provoke her appetite. This failing, I tried some 
dry bran and oats, of which she ate a little, and also a small 
quantity of dry hay. 
On the l6th, p.m., I had her walked out, but she moved 
very stiffly, arched her back, the coat was erect, countenance 
dejected, the eyes rather sunken; occasionally she turned her 
head to her side and made a pitiful groan; concussion on the 
side was almost sufflcient to cause her to fall. I inserted a 
seton in front of the chest, and applied a counter-irritant. 
On the 18th she ate a little food, but she had become 
emaciated, her countenance haggard; and she groaned, and 
seemed read}’- to fall when moved. I expressed to the pro¬ 
prietor my suspicion that there were more needles inside the 
animal, and that these were the cause of the mischief, and 
that all medical treatment would prove of little avail; I there¬ 
fore recommended him to nurse her and give succulent and 
nutritious food, and see what nature would do, and i promised 
to call and see her occasionallv. 
From the 18th of September the mare kept gradually 
losing flesh till the 21st of October, when 1 advised the 
owner to have her destroyed, as I felt convinced there was 
no hope of recovery. He at once consented, and on my 
making a post-mortem examination I found a great quantity 
of fish-hooks and needles, which I have forwarded to you. 
The fish-hooks were principally in the large double colon, 
and the greater bulk of the needles in the duodenum. Ab¬ 
scesses and adhesions existed over nearly all the inner sur¬ 
face of the body. 
OBSERYATIONS ON THIS STRANGE CASE BY PROFESSOR 
VARNELL. 
I am sure that no one will read the above communication 
xxxvi. 2 
