A NEW METHOD OF EMPLOYING CHARCOAL. 
661 
entering into them in detail. One was an aged trotting horse. 
He had become unfastened and eaten one half bushel of green 
corn; from the time of sickness to the period of beginning 
treatment was about forty minutes. I tapped him immediately,* 
much against the owner’s wishes. As other treatment I gave 
him charcoal; the amount which he received was two pounds. 
Some idea of the severity of the attack can be had when I state 
that it required about two hours to give him this quantity. The 
last time I tapped him as 'much gas escaped as at the first 
operation. The owner became dissatisfied and so was I at 
the progress his horse was making. He unceremoniously dis¬ 
missed me, another veterinarian was called, who immediately 
gave him linseed oil one quart, chloroform ^ iii, aromatic spirits 
of ammonia § iii; result, death one hour after. Post-mortem 
examination, pulmonary medication too heroic ; the major por¬ 
tion of the drench was in the bronchial tubes ; stomach pre¬ 
sented an incomplete rupture ; the gastric peritoneum was the 
only structure which held the organ intact and had the animal 
lived long enough I have every reason to believe that the rup¬ 
ture would have been complete. The second case was owned, 
by a physician and I think it was for that reason that I gave 
him charcoal. He was a believer in the efficacy of it; I was not, 
although I gave it. On account of working hard the groom 
gave the horse a double quantity of oats. He developed an 
attack of acute gastric indigestion one half hour afterwards. 
Death occurred five hours after developing the attack. , .With 
other treatment which I considered appropriate at the time I 
gave him one pound and a half of vegetable charcoal. I must 
confess I saw positively no effect from its use. The ,post-morr*j 
tern examination revealed a complete rupture of the stomach 
over its greater curvature about eight inches long and running 
from right to left. That part'of the organ which remained in¬ 
tact was empty. This result has convinced the owner, of the 
uselessness of charcoal when administered in the manner in 
which it was. I might add that since then I had a case which 
to all appearances was as bad as'the last mentioned, owned by 
