REPORTS OF OASES. 
120 
REPORTS OF CASES. 
RUPTURE OF THE STOMACH FROM IMPACTION WITH DIRT, Etc. 
By A. A. Holcombe, D.V.S. 
The subject of this report was a sixteen-vear old mule that had 
worked in a six-mule-team at Fort Leavenworth depot during the 
past twelve years. Of late he had become quite subject to colics, 
having been in the hospital for treatment some five or six times 
during the past nine months. The attacks were comparatively 
mild, and no doubt depended on an imperfect mastication of the 
food. Two or three doses of colic mixture were usually sufficient 
to effect relief. 
On April 10 he suffered from a severe attack of indigestion, 
remaining in the hospital for three days. On the 14th he was 
turned into the corral for a few days’ rest, but getting kicked dur¬ 
ing the day, he was not returned until the lameness had been re¬ 
moved, which was on the 17th. Nothing amiss was noticed with 
him until the morning of the 19th, when he was found in the cor¬ 
ral suffering from intense abdominal pain. He was immediately 
put under treatment for indigestion, receiving an eight dram dose of 
Barbadoes aloes, with occasional doses of tr. of opium and aro¬ 
matic spts. of ammonia. On the 20th he purged moderately, but 
still had slight colicky pains at infrequent intervals. About nine 
o’clock on the morning of the 21st severe spasms set in and death 
followed in a few minutes. Opportunity w T as not afforded for 
making a post mortem examination until the next morning, when 
the following lesions were found : 
The abdomen was greatly distended with gas, which escaped, 
with three or four gallons of fluid, when the cavity was opened. 
Mixed with this fluid, at the most dependent part of the cavity, 
was a quantity of ingesta that had escaped from the right cul-de- 
sac of the stomach. When the stomach was reached, it was found 
distended to its utmost and unusually heavy. Removing it, and 
making an incision through its coats so as to expose its whole 
contents, they were found to consist as follows : 
Almost the entire surface of the mass consisted of dirt or mud, 
