ESERINE. 
2 9 
Third Step.— Close the abdomen with two sutures of 
woven silk tied rather loosely with square knots. Clip the 
ends of the thread with the scissors. Apply iodoform ointment 
freely. Remove the cord and lay the animal aside to regain 
consciousness. We have abandoned bandages of all descrip¬ 
tion. The diet should consist of sweet milk for a day or two ; 
afterward the usual diet may be allowed. Remove the sutures 
about the fourth or fifth day. 
Remarks. —It will be noticed by reviewing the operation 
that the instruments are used but once, that is, the sponge, bis¬ 
toury, forceps, needles, etc., after being used are laid aside and 
not returned to the antiseptic, to create confusion or the proba¬ 
bility of infection. The abdominal muscles will be tense if the 
patient is heavy; the assistant overcomes this by raising the 
fore legs while the ovaries are being sought. 
Contra-indication.— CEstrum, pregnancy and lactation. 
In one case the operation was performed under protest dur¬ 
ing oestrum, resulting in peritonitis, which proved fatal. This 
was the only case lost during a period of five years. 
If on opening the abdomen the animal be pregnant, it is 
perhaps best to close the wound and postpone the operation 
indefinitely. 
ESERINE. 
By R. P. Steddon, V. S., Galesburg, Illinois. 
A Paper read before the Eleventh Annual Meeting of the Illinois State Veterinary 
Medical Association. 
In the very great majority of so-called bowel troubles which 
come to our observation, the predominating cause is torpidity of 
some portion of some portion of the alimentary tract or its ap¬ 
pendages, resulting from or induced by dietetic errors, or, what 
is very frequent, the inability of the animal to properly masti¬ 
cate, or the natural propensity of bolting the food. How often 
we have seen animals suffering the agonies of death regurgita¬ 
ting gases from the stomach, the abdominal walls distended to 
