694 WEST or SCOTLAND VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. 
found formed into a sinus, following the direction of the penetra¬ 
tion of the shaft, which had passed over the superior border of 
the cariniform cartilage, and between the first and second ribs on 
the right side fracturing the third and fourth ribs on the left, 
about three inches from their lower extremities, and entering 
the lung on the same side, giving rise to the formation of an 
abscess, a large quantity of pus still being retained in its cavity. 
There was effusion of serum, mixed with flakes of lymph, into the 
thoracic cavity, with considerable adhesions, the wound in the 
chest, acting as a drain, prevented the accumulation of much 
serum. One gentleman, who saw the animal during life, stated 
his opinion that fracture of a rib probably existed, but as it was 
immediately covered by the shoulder, a correct diagnosis on this 
point was difficult. 
The shaft was curved downwards at the end, the pony which 
was in the vehicle being about twelve, the horse sixteen hands 
high. 
Remarks .—Both these cases illustrate the absurdity of sup¬ 
posing that ingress of air into the chest produces collapse of the 
lungs. No. 1, as was remarked at the autopsy by Professor 
Williams and myself, and during the discussion by the former, 
shows to what an extent the heart may be injured and its in¬ 
tegrity destroyed without a fatal result. The phlebitis of the 
sheath must have been secondary, and may have followed the 
occlusion (by detached portions of thrombi from the walls of the 
heart) of some of the small arteries in the neighbourhood; the 
pulmonic phlebitis was evidently a subsequent condition to that 
in the sheath. The diseased condition of the vessels of the 
sheath was thought by Professor Williams to be due to pysemia 
from the absorption of decomposing pus from the original wound, 
the decomposition being brought about by exposure of the pus to 
atmospheric air. On consideration, I can scarcely agree w T ith 
this view of the case, as in the first place the abscess in the sheath 
did not present the usual appearances of pysemic abscesses; and, 
secondly, the animal's appetite remained good, the pulse compara¬ 
tively quiet, and the temperature normal. 
One remarkable thing in the history of No. 2 is worthy of 
observation, viz. the ease with which the animal assumed the re¬ 
cumbent posture, though this is not the first time I have seen an 
animal do this with hydrothorax, and probably in this case the 
small amount of fluid in the chest, owing to the artificial drain 
through the wound, may supply the reason. 
