716 
REPORTS OF CASES. 
thrive, and has done well up to time of present trouble. On 
morning of day I saw her she milked eight quarts. The regular 
yield was about twenty-two quarts Temperature ioi°, respir¬ 
ation 20°, pulse 50. She looked the picture of health. Upon the 
left hypochondriacal region, low down there was a slight eleva¬ 
tion of skin becoming more elevated towards the centre, about 
six inches in width. Except towards the centre it was firm, 
haid, unyielding and fibrous-like. The skin and underlying 
structures seemed to be intimately adhered to each other. In 
the centre of this elevation there was a patch of skin denude of 
hair, about three inches in width, having almost the exact ap¬ 
pearance of a sitfast, which is so common upon the backs of 
horses ; dry, leathery-like centre ; black, gradually shading to¬ 
wards the edges to a dark brown purple and greenish tints of a 
slightly gangrenous odor. 1 his discolored skin was detached 
from the normal skin for about an inch and a half, this left an 
opening through which escaped fluid—rsolid food, both of which 
had the characteristic odor of the contents of the normal rumen 
After removing the detached portion of the slough, about two 
quarts of liquid and solid food escaped. I now introduced my 
two fingers into the opening and found a hard, solid, firm, un¬ 
yielding fibrous-like ring almost circular, about an inch and a 
half thick. I now removed a small stone and about a table¬ 
spoonful of sand or clay. I forced my fingers up a little further 
and could feel the mucus membrane lining the rumen and some 
food. After dislodging the food and withdrawing my fingers, 
about two quarts of fluid escaped through the opening. I intro¬ 
duced my fingers again and felt what I supposed to be and after¬ 
wards found to be two small fibrous bands around the circular 
opening, uniting the rumen to the floor of the abdomen, forming 
a true gastric fistula. Not wishing to force the whole of my 
hand into the opening for fear of doing damage, I removed 
whatever particles of food I could with my fingers. After washing 
the opening and surrounding parts antiseptically, I attempted to 
close the opening up. The patient was cast and turned on her 
back. I now removed the entire slough and surrounding un- 
