62 LIVERPOOL VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. 
show signs of pain on arrival in Liverpool. Briefly, the symptoms 
were—acute abdominal pain, pulse 50. Visible mucous membranes of 
a dull pale red, mouth hot and dry, with a loathing of food and water. 
The fourth day she drank water freely, and ate a little. No faeces were 
passed at all during the attack. In exploring the rectum I observed 
that no solid faeces could be felt, indicating that the obstruction was 
very near the rectum. The treatment adopted was—repeated small 
doses of aloes, in conjunction with carbonate of ammonia, frequent 
injections, and gave small doses of chloroform to allay the pain. On 
the evening of the fourth day the pulse became accelerated and weak, 
and the symptoms of pain ceased. She died on the following day, the 
fifth after her attack. He, Mr. Elam, made a post-mortem examination 
and found the calculus shown firmly imbedded in the rectum, about 
five feet from the anus. Mr. Elam’s opinion was, that the long march 
of over 200 miles had caused or accelerated the backward move¬ 
ment of the calculus from the large intestines onwards to the rectum. 
He considered that a careful exploration of the rectum in all cases 
of abdominal affections, is an invaluable aid to a correct diagnosis, 
and might lead, in some cases, to the removal of the obstruction. 
The other case was that of a bay cart mare, six years old, which I 
(Mr. Elam) was asked to attend in July last. I found her manifesting 
symptoms of colic, for which I gave her a stimulating drink and 
administered ^iij of aloes. The next day she appeared better, but in 
about a week after I was again sent for to attend her, when the owner 
now told me that she had been griped a little every day for a fortnight. 
I had her brought to my infirmary. The symptoms were briefly as 
follows—visible mucous membranes of a dull pale red, mouth hot and 
dry, frequent pawing, and restless when lying. No symptoms of acute 
pain, rolled very seldom, but had a perfect loathing of food and water. 
This condition continued for ten days, when the bowels began to act 
freely, and she commenced to eat and drink heartily. Three days after 
she was discharged as all right. The treatment, as in the other case, 
was—repeated small doses of aloes in conjunction with the carbonate of 
ammonia. In about a week after I was again sent for to attend this 
mare, when the same symptoms presented themselves. As I now con¬ 
sidered the case a hopeless one, and the owner being a poor man, I 
recommended him to turn her into a good field, and if she should die to 
inform me. The mare died in about three weeks after. I made a post¬ 
mortem examination and found a large calculus at the junction of the 
large, or double colon, with the single colon. 
Mr. Storrar also exhibited some specimens of calculi, pyramidal in 
shape, which had been so formed by their action on one another in the 
bowels. 
A general discussion followed, of which the following is a brief sum¬ 
mary :—1. That there is no reliable diagnostic symptom of the presence 
of calculi, except in such recurrent cases as the second one in Mr. 
Elam’s communication. 2. That although in individual cases, such as 
the formation of hair balls in calves, and where an animal has been 
known to swallow some peculiar article which has formed the nucleus of 
a calculus, that has been either evacuated or found post-mortem at a 
certain period afterwards, there are no very reliable data upon which to 
form an opinion as to the length of time which these calculi require to 
form. As an instance of this Mr. T. Taylor referred to a horse, within 
his own practice, which had been in the habit of manufacturing these 
interesting articles for several years, their size varying from that of a 
billiard ball to that of a marble ; these he discharged in quantities of 
