C. B. MICHKNER. 
4h4 
DILATATION OF THE (ESOPHAGUS (JABOT) IN A COW 
By C. B. Michknek, D.V.S. 
The subject, a cow four years old, was noticed to be choked 
on pumpkins last fall, at which time, the owner tells me, she be¬ 
came very much distressed, was enormously tympanitic, but after 
a time became easier and obtained relief. About one month 
later she was again choked, though this time with corn on the 
cob. She got over this, but in a day or two the owner noticed 
that when she ate any hay or corn fodder, she would swallow 
but two or three mouthfuls before retching would set in. 11ns 
would be kept up, accompanied by low moaning, until she suc¬ 
ceeded in vomiting all the solid food she had swallowed. It per¬ 
mitted, she would repeat the same performance, seeming to be 
desirous to eat. After being treated by a local “ horse doctor 
for some time for “ weak stomach,” I was called to see her on the 
18tli of December, ’79. 
Was told that the cow could ingest liquid or semi-liquid food 
without any inconvenience, but the least particle of solid food, as 
hay or straw, would induce the above symptoms. I fed her some 
hay and noted the effects carefully, as well as the condition of the 
food she vomited. With these observations, and the history of 
the case, I had no trouble in diagnosing a thoracic dilatation of 
the oesophagus. Advised the owner to sedulously avoid giving 
the animal anything but liquid food or mashes. One night, how¬ 
ever, the cow got at some wheat straw and ate of it. The dilata¬ 
tion became tilled and she was unable to eject its contents. The 
post-mortem revealed the presence of a sac (the muscular coat of 
the oesophagus being ruptured allowed the mucous, or interna 
coat, to escape through the hernia and thus form a pouch), about 
three inches above the stomach. The other organs of the body 
were reported healthy. 
