CORRESPONDENCE. 
551 
CORRESPONDENCE. 
INDIGESTION IN THE HORSE. 
Editor American Veterinary Review : 
I have been much interested in reading the leading article in 
your February number, by Dr. Byrne, on Indigestion, and as I 
have just had two peculiar cases, 1 will describe them, as I think 
they will be of some interest. 
February 9th last I was called to see a bay gelding that had 
the following history: He had been fed early in the morning 
and driven about forty miles over a rough mountain road, stop¬ 
ping only for a few moments' 1 lunch at noon. About an hour 
previous to my call he had become suddenly sluggish, almost 
refused to go and began tv. bloat rapidly. When I saw him, I 
found that the horse was “ panting,” pulse imperceptable, ex¬ 
tremities very cold, expression haggard and sensibility all but 
gone. I immediately inserted the trocar before trying anything 
else, and the animal began to breathe easier at once. This was 
followed by a laxative ball, aloes 3i v and an absence of food 
until the next day. Followed with easily digested food for a 
couple of days, and the animal was at work again in four days. 
Case No. 2.—A small roan saddle mare about 18 years old. 
Always had been well, but from eating a small quantity of alfalfa 
hay, suddenly showed symptoms of severe colic. 
Feb. 11th. 1 never have seen symptoms develop with such 
rapidity as they did in this case. All of the stimulants and free 
use of the injection pump failed to produce the least effect, and 
so I again resorted to the trocar. Relief was only temporary, and 
I had to again use the instrument. The first punctures that I 
made were rather high up, and I found it necessary to punctuate 
the colon through the inferior abdominal wall, as well as the 
coecum. Before I could get the bowels to empty themselves of 
the undigested hay, I had to insert the trocar six different times, 
and finally 1 left the canula in the intestine for ibout an hour at 
a time. A slight peritonitis followed which quickly passed, and 
the animal left the infirmary to-day kicking up her heels and 
