■290 
W. H. GKIBBLE. 
consisted in one of an unbroken egg, and the other a small 
paper sack of indigo. All of the others were choked on feed, 
thirteen with whole oats, one with ground corn and'oats, and 
one with cut hay. 
Our experience has shown that when the obstruction is 
retained in the pharynx, the flow of saliva, coughing and 
distress are plainly and quickly shown, and at the same time 
with the aid of a speculum its removal is comparatively easy ; 
and again if lodged in what we call the neck portion of oeso¬ 
phagus, then together with the symptoms of choking, an en¬ 
largement can be seen and felt, and if its removal by oils, 
manipulation, etc., fail, we still have resort to the operation of 
cesophagotomy, a not very complicated or dangerous opera¬ 
tion, one which we have performed three times in the past 
four years, and each time with perfect success, depending 
largly on strict adherence to the rules of antiseptic surgery. 
But if the obstruction be still lower and we have our 
dreaded low choke, especially if it be close to mouth of 
stomach, where we must contend with the rigid muscular 
coat before spoken of, which makes it more difficult to treat, 
and consequently of more danger to our patient, than the 
symptoms nearly always tire less intense, less severe, more 
misleading, and, in fact, may be so slight as to lead us en¬ 
tirely astray. 
I would not have you think that f have lost all my choked 
patients, for such is not the fact, having treated many others 
which we diagnosed as low choke that recovered, using the pro 
bang on several without bad results. Our treatment has been 
in the past varied, adopting all means recommended by others, 
using drenches of different combinations, etc., but all with 
about the same average result, but at the present time we 
employ a method^which I have never seen described or used 
w by any one else. 
Of course we first obtain if possible, a history of the case, 
and this, gentlemen, is of the utmost importance. When we 
have diagnosed our case, we at once, and in all cases, drench 
with a small quantity of raw linseed oil or melted lard. This 
is simply as a lubricant; then, if the obstruction be of a 
