514 
REPORTS OF CASES. 
GESOPHAGOTOMY IN A THREE-YEAR-OLD FILLY. 
By James M. Reed, V.S., Mattoon, III. 
On June 12, 1893, 1 was called to the residence of Lewis 
F-, a liveryman, about dark. Upon arriving found my 
patient badly choked, having been in this condition about 
six or seven hours. She had given up her struggling en¬ 
deavors to remove the obstruction, which was located 
about half way between the jaw and point of shoulder in 
the oesophagus. I tried to remove the impaction by every 
possible means of administering fluids, but all attempts failed. 
By consent of the owner I adopted cesophagotomy. Casting 
the filly on her right side, and with two assistants, one at the 
head, the other at the rope, I proceeded with the operation, 
the assistant at the head straightening the head out and hold¬ 
ing it on the ground, or bed of straw. 
I first opened the skin with a hooked knife, about two and 
one-half inches long, and then cutting down on to the oesoph¬ 
agus with the hooked knife, and found a finely crushed cob 
which seemed to be quite dry. Owing to my patient being 
very restless, 1 was forced to pick it out with my fingers, 
small particles at a time, the gash in the oesophagus being 
about two inches long. After the obstruction was completely 
removed I sewed up the wound in the oesophagus with catgut 
and then washed out the wound with antiseptic solution, 
sewed up wound in skin with linen thread and, removing the 
hobbies, the filly arose to her feet and I gave her some water, 
of which she drank two or three swallows freely. I tied her 
up in a box-stall for the night, and left orders to allow her no 
food but gruels, with small doses of potassium nitrate once a 
day. I washed the wound once a day with corrosive subli¬ 
mate solution, and applied the following ointment: terebin- 
thinge vulgaris, aqua ammonia, of each ij 5 , olium lini xij 5, 
applied night and morning, after washing. 
June 14th. I saw the patient; temperature 102°, pulse 
slightly raised, respiration slightly raised; drank gruel freely, 
the wound slightly swollen. 
June 16th. Saw patient; temperature ioi°, pulse normal,. 
