204 
REPORTS OF CASES 
any other request which may come to us, thus giving valuable 
information to those who may be in search of good locations for 
practice. 
REPORTS OF CASES. 
(ESOPHAGOTOMY AND RECOVERY. 
By J. F. Winchester, D.V.S. 
Was called at noon July 24, 1878, to see a roan mare with 
the following history: Upon being backed out of her stall to be 
watered she picked up an apple from the floor and, without stop¬ 
ping to masticate it, made a rush for the trough and took a swal¬ 
low of water, the apple at the same time going down and choking 
her, causing a severe cough and ptyalism. The foreign body was 
felt in the superior part of the oesophagus, and by the manipula¬ 
tions of the groom and the exertions of the horse was made to 
pass down the oesophagus, beyond the feeling of the groom, who 
then thought the mare to be all right, as the distressing cough 
had ceased, and but little saliva was running from the mouth. 
On trying to drink, however, the horse would take a couple of 
swallows, when the water would soon return through the nostrils, 
accompanied by a twitching of the neck. 
After hearing the groom’s story, I at once diagnosed choking 
due to the apple, and that that body was lodged in the thoracic 
portion of the oesophagus. 
Symptoms .—She was standing with neck stretched, and w r ould 
have severe clonic spasms of the inferior cervical muscles. Du¬ 
ring the intervals of rest she would roll and eat some grass, as 
she had been led out on the lawn, which would return through 
the nostrils after a short time. 
Treatment .—Under the circumstances I advised an operation, 
but the owner did not think he would take his chances just then. 
I gave some olive oil, thinking it might lubricate the parts and 
allow the apple to pass on, but it also returned on the recurrence 
of the spasms. 
That evening I was again called in a great hurry and told that 
