REPORTS OF CASES. 
883 
also aconite and cannabis indica to be given along with flaxseed 
tea ; put hot applications over the loins and to report in a cou¬ 
ple of days, which the owner did, saying she had lost all appe¬ 
tite, strained continually, bowels watery, very weak and dying. 
I then tried homeopathic doses of arsenicum and nux alter¬ 
nately, with the result that the straining soon began to cease, 
bow r els checked, appetite returned and she is now well. 
A Recovery Without a Diagnosis and Against a Prognosis. 
Durham bull, four years old, which a party near Lee, 111 ., 
(Mr. Cofield) borrowed from Mr. Heeg, of Shabbona, and had 
him a little over a month, ate and drank very little the first 
week, when he stopped entirely. A swelling appeared on the 
low T er part of the neck along the oesophagus. It gradually got 
larger till it was a foot long and as thick as a closed fist. Mr. 
S., thinking he was suffering from choke, passed a whip, which 
met with no resistance and passed the enlargement. So he 
turned the bull out to die, sending w r ord to the owner, who 
called on me, and gave me what symptoms he had received. 
Refusing to pass my opinion without seeing the case, he de¬ 
parted, and I did not hear from him for some time, when Mr. 
Heeg called and said the bull was so poor and weak he could 
hardly rise when down, and asked me to call and see him, 
which I did. Not being able to decide whether it was a case 
of actinomycosis or choke, I concluded to operate, which I did, 
shaving and thoroughly disinfecting with bichloride. I laid 
him down, made an incision about sixteen inches long through 
skin, muscles and oesophagus. Finding no foreign body, I de¬ 
cided it must be due to the actinomyces fungus and advised 
destruction. The owner objected and told me to stitch him up 
and let him live as long as lie could. So I used a strong creo- 
lin wash, about tw 7 o quarts; let it flow slowdy by pressing the 
sponge gently till it was all used, taking deep stitches in the 
muscles and skin, not touching the oesophagus. After the 
parts were thoroughly wiped, I applied a thick coating of tar, 
and then turned him out to die, leaving a solution of potassium 
iodide, 3 iv, aqua Oii, tablespoonful three times a day. What 
was my surprise to meet Mr. Cofield’s boy three days after¬ 
wards, who told me that on that morning the bull w T ent to the 
tank and drank a little water, and he did not see any of it vom¬ 
ited ; and that the swelling w T as disappearing. About two 
weeks after I met Mr. Cofield, and he told me Mr. Heeg had 
taken the bull home,and he was getting along finely ; they had 
cut the stitches and the wound had healed by first intention. I 
