RUPTURE OP THE COLON OP A HORSE. 
195 
almost filled with fluid, and 3 ^et evincing no symptoms of 
pain, or at least not to such an extent as to attract his 
owner’s attention. That the rupture must have existed for 
some time I think is evident, from the quantity of ingesta 
that had passed through the opening; but why there should 
not have been some marked symptoms indicative of peritonitis, 
I am at a loss to say, as also I am to account for the length 
of time the animal lived under such peculiar circumstances. 
If you will be kind enough to favour me with your 
opinion on the case, I shall take it as a great favour. 
“ I am, 
Yours respectfully, 
^^Thos. Billington. 
“ To Professor Varnell.” 
In discussing the particulars of this case, it seems to me 
that the principal points to be considered, and these are those 
which we may infer Mr. Billington is desirous of having an 
opinion upon, are—1st. At what period during the illness of 
the horse did the rupture of the colon take place ? 2ndly. If 
it occurred on the 19th or 20th, why was it not indicated by 
symptoms which would have suggested to the mind of the most 
common observer that the horse was labouring under some 
painful and important disease? Srdly. Is it in accordance 
with the experience of any of the members of our profession 
for a horse to live a week or more with ruptured bowels and 
an extravasation of ingesta, to the extent alluded to by Mr. 
Billington? 4thly. Are the symptoms of a ruptured colon, 
or other parts of the intestines, in some instances, so am¬ 
biguous as to puzzle the most experienced to diagnose them ? 
These questions appear to me to be important, and well 
w^orth the consideration of the veterinary pathologist. There 
may be those who feel themselves able to solve some or all of 
them, and if so, their opinions would be much desired. For 
my own part, I feel that whatever opinion I may offer in the 
solution of any of these questions must be accepted as being 
far from conclusive. With regard to the first question I 
have suggested, I incline to the opinion that the rupture of 
the colon did take place as Mr. Billington thinks it did, 
namely, several days before the horse died. I have a strong 
recollection, although no memoranda, of two or three in¬ 
stances of horses that had died from disease of a similar 
nature, and upon examination after death it was found that a 
rupture of the bowel had taken place. But in these cases 
the symptoms were diagnostic of great abdominal pain, and 
I well remember the surprise' evinced by those present that 
