714 
REPORTS OF CASES. 
and the case was seen again at two o’clock. Apparently it was 
doing well and the owner reported it as coming along finely. 
1 told the owner I would telephone or see the horse again 
that evening. About seven o’clock I called again. The owner 
said the horse had been doing well all the afternoon. He led the 
horse out on the floor to water and I noticed it retched. The 
animal refused water and soon retched again. There was no 
tympany noticeable, no pain, and some peristalsis on both sides. 
We moved the horse about the floor and the more he was moved 
the more he retched, and soon commenced to paw. I drove to 
the office for a stomach tube and by the time I returned the retch¬ 
ing was a continuous performance. The tube was passed 
through the nostril and a small amount of gas escaped. All 
symptoms of trouble disappeared. Salicylic acid in alcohol was 
given through the tube to stop fermentation and strong ammonia 
water well diluted was given for a stimulant. The tube was left 
in place, but no effort made to keep it open. 
Soon the horse became uneasy, pawed, and commenced to 
retch. The tube was opened again and a small quantity of gas 
escaped, which was followed at intervals by spurts of gas as the 
tube was cleared or cleared itself. There was the constant for¬ 
mation of an odorless gas and if the tube was permitted to re¬ 
main clogged for half an hour the pains and retching began 
again. 
No physic had been given in the morning, which was a mis¬ 
take. About nine o’clock at night three drachms of aloin were 
given. The ammonia was pushed and two ounces of turpentine 
given to stop fermentation. The case dragged along hour after 
hour under just these conditions,—a constant formation of gas 
and its escape through the tube, and a fair intestinal peristalsis. 
About four o’clock in the morning two ounces of creolin in 
a quart of water was given, and one grain of arecolin hypo¬ 
dermically. An hour later the gas formation had ceased and the 
tube was withdrawn. The horse made an excellent recovery. 
Now there are some questions about this case: What was the 
gas which formed so persistently? Reeks says the bulk of the 
stomach gases is carbonic acid and will unite with ammonia to 
form ammonia carbonate. He also says it is a mistake to give 
ammoniam carbonate in these cases, because in the presence of 
acid the carbonate is broken up and gives off carbonic acid, thus 
increasing the gas in the stomach. If ammoniam carbonate ad¬ 
ministered will do this, why will not the carbonate formed in the 
stomach also decompose in the presence of acid? 
