74 ACSTRACTS AND REPORT.

and the examination of the urine for albumen should receive attention. In anremic animals, even in such as have been rested for a long time and been freely fed, cardiac troubles generally persist and become easily demonstrable after hard work, whilst albumen can be detected in the urine in greater or less quantity. Diseased animals should either be isolated or destroyed, though they may be stabled along with oxen without danger. In no case should they be sent to grass, where infection occurs very readily and the disease may be handed on.

The greatest care should be taken in preventing food or drink becoming infected by the dejections of the sick. In infected localities pure water should be provided and the animals prevented drinking from marshes, ponds, or shallow wells. Every effort should be made to prevent pollution of water and food by urine or by litter from infected stables. (Carre and Vallee, Rez'. Gen. de Mf:d. Va., [907, p. II3.)

SURGICAL INTERVENTION THROUGH THE VAGINA IN CERTAIN CASES OF OBSTRUCTION OF THE INTESTINE IN MARES.

THE two following cases refer, one to a frecal obstruction in the floating colon, the second to a twist of the pelvic loop of the large intestine.

By introducing the hand into the abdominal cavity it proved easy to relieve the frecal obstruction. Similarly in the second case by grasping the pelvic loop of the large intestine the writer was able to exercise traction in a back­ward direction and eventually to effect reduction. The flank operation he regards as being not only very dangerous in itself, but also on account of the great susceptibility of the peritoneum in the horse and the short distance which separates the peritoneum from the exterior in the flank region. A French vetennary surgeon, M. Audebert, has, since the publication of these cases, himself related a very interesting instance in which he reduced an obstruction by the operation above mentioned.

(I) Double Adhesion of the Floatil1g Colon 011 tile Left Side of the Antero-tnftrior Margin of the Pelvis.

The subject was a three-year-old filly bred in Belgium. Eight months previously it had suffered from severe pneumonia, during the course of which it showed very severe lameness of the left hind leg, having particular difficulty in advancing the limb. No cause for the lameness could be detected. On rectal examination a diffuse, very sensitive swelling, as large as a man's two fists, was found in front of the antero-inferior margin of the pelvis on the left side. At the time this swelling was thought to have resulted from inflammation of a lymphatic gland, secondary to the principal disease.

The treatment for pneumonia was continued, and the animal recovered both from the pneumonia and the lameness. In a week the latter had disappeared, and the internal swelling was almost gone, as had also the symptoms of pneumonia. After recovery the filly was put to ordinary work.

The owner stated that about five months later the animal began to show frequent colic, which was often accompanied by trifling tympanites and difficulty in defrecation. The colic appeared after rest and abundant feeding. It was not severe and on each occasion was followed in a few hours by more or less abundant evacuation and recovery. The attacks, however, recurred a dozen times during the three months which followed the primary digestive trouble, and began to affect the animal's general health.

The writer when first summoned found the animal comfortable. Two days later he was again called to attend it. The filly showed dull colic, slight

AB:'TRACTS AND REPORT. 75·

tympanites, constipation, very slightly accelerated pulse. On rectal examina­tion he found, at the same spot where the inflammatory enlargement had been observed, a rather large, slightly mobile mass which was continued in a backward direction by the relaxed intestine, and in a forward direction by the intestine di5tended with frecal material.

By passing the hand through an incision in the vagina it was found that the floating colon was adherent at two points, about 4 or 5 inches distant from one another, to a slight somewhat sensitive swelling, the remains of the lesion that had been detected eight months before. The first attachment was by a fibrous band, 2 to 2! inches in length, nearly 1 inch in breadth, and about 4 mm. in thickness. The second attachment resulted from direct adhesion of the intestine, and was situated behind the former. Between these two points the intestine was distended by the accumulation of freces, and had assumed the form of an arch. In front of this arch the intestine was filled with very firm frecal material, whilst behind it was empty. The diagnosis thus being clear, treatment became simple, namely, to sever the two adhesions.

The fibrous hand forming the first attachment was divided by means of a recurved tenotome provided with a blunt point. The other was broken down with the fingers in such a way as to remove a little of the new tissue along with the intestine in order to be certain of preserving the walls of the latter intact.

Afterwards, by alternately pressing from above backwards with the hand on the floating colon, the accumulated contents of the arch were dispersed, and the obstacle disappeared.

Following on this operation the colic diminished, abundant evacuations took place, and on the day after the animal was found very much better. Recovery followed without interruption.

(2) A Recal Obstruction in the Floating Colon. This case is similar to one published in 1897. The subject was a Belgian mare nine years old. When seen the pulse was

very slightly accelerated, almost normal; the animal lay down and rolled occasionally, and assumed positions which suggested obstruction in the intestine.

Rectal exploration immediately confirmed the diagnosis, the floating colon being obstructed by a frecal accumulation.

After vainly attempting to effect reduction through the walls of the rectum, a subcutaneous injection of 8 cgrs. of sulphate of eserine and 5 cgrs. of nitrate of pilocarpine was given, and enemata of lukewarm water were prescribed every half·hour, the animal to be placed with the hind quarters higher than the front.

Four hours later there was no change. The writer therefore passed his hand into the abdominal cavity through an incision in the vagina. By manipulating the obstruction, especially towards its ends, he was able without the slightest difficulty completely to reduce it. Following on this operation large quantities of excrement and gas were passed, and the colic promptly subsided.

The day after the mare had apparently quite recovered, and in a week or ten days returned to work.

In the case published in 1897 it may have appeared that the vagina was incised after casting the animal, but this is erroneous. The writer applies. one or two strips of broad webbing to the hind limbs, fastening them to a collar or passing them around the neck. In other cases he places the animal in a travis, if such be available.

The method above described is far from being always so successful, the results depending on the nature of the obstruction, which, in some cases, must be regarded as irreducible.

.\IlSTRACT S AND REPORT.

Thus, the writer himself failed to reduce two cases of torsion of the large intestine at the diaphragmatic curvature and a twist of the small intestine, as well as a case of strangulation of the small intestine caused by rupture of the mesentery. He considers that puncture of the vagina enables one successfully to treat certain cases of obstruction, but also possesses another value, namely, that of assisting in the formation of an accurate diagnosis. (Deghilage, Ann. de 111M. Vu., 1907, p. 17.)

ANTI - TUBERCULOUS VACCINATION BY BEHRING'S METHOD. (SECOND REPORT EXPERIMENTS AT MELUN.)

VON ON

EARLY in October 1905 it was decided to slaughter all the remaining experi­mental animals on the 3rd December following. Four vaccinated animals which had not been tested were, however, preserved in order to decide how long the immunity continued. Subjects Nos. 30 and 31, which had been hving together with tuberculous animals and two control animals from the 15th June, were to be preserved, unless previous to the 1st December they showed signs of tuberculosis.

Tested with tuberculin on the 29th November 1905, these four animals appeared to be healthy, whilst the controls reacted violently and on post­mortem examination showed very grave lesions of tuberculosis. This seemed to prove that the vaccination enables animals to resist, at least for several months, a form of natural contagion such as results from stabling with infected subjects. The vaccinated subjects were therefore kept and sent to Alfort to undergo further tests by cohabitation. At the same time Nos. 44, 45,46, and 47, intended for use as controls on the duration of immunity, were kept isolated at the research laboratory at Alfort.

I.-Test by Cohabitatioll. Subjects Nos. 30 and 31 having undergone from the 16th June to

3rd December without apparent injury a test which proved rapidly fatal to the control animals, were subjected at Alfort to a new series of tests, extending from loth December 1905 to 6th July 1906.

Each was placed in close cont2ct with an ox suffering from" open" tuber­culosis. These diseased (contaminating) animals having already given excellent results in an analogous series of experiments carried on by Dr Roux, and the presence of bacilli in their nasal discharges, etc., being proved, it was not thought necessary to use controls, especially as the experimenters' grant of money was not large.

The diseased and vaccinated animals lived in close contact, occupying the same stall and eating from the same manger. The following tables show the results obtained in each case.

A. No. 3o.-Breton red and white calf. On loth December 1905 was placed with a Breton ox suffering from extensive" open" tuberculous lesions of the lung.

Tested with tuberculin-1St February 1906 Brief reaction I·go C. 9th March 1906 Very brief reaction 1'60 C. 21St April 1906 Brief reaction 1'2

0 C. 11th May 1906 No reaction 0'7 0 C. 20th June 1906 No reaction 0'40 C.

B. No. 3r.-Breton black and white calf. On loth December 1905 was placed with a Breton cow showing very limited" open" tuberculous lesions of the lung.