An Abdominal Wound

An Abdominal Wound

An Abdominal Wound.. the Datura stramonium (which is common in these parts), a great portion of which had been eaten. Now the symptoms of datura poiso...

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An Abdominal Wound.. the Datura stramonium (which is common in these parts), a great portion of which had been eaten. Now the symptoms of datura poisoning are:- , (r) Paralysis of the third nerve, causing dilatation of the pupil and imperfect vision. (2) Paralysis of the salivary nerves, causing dryness of the mouth . (3) Paralysis of the inhibitory fibres of the vagus in the heart, leading to rapid action of the heart. Here, then, was the undoubted solution of the mystery, and in places where this shrub is indigenous I shall ever associate that peculiar dry tongue in combination with a dilated pupil with this form of poisoning. As regards treatment, I prescribed half a pint of a I per cent. solution of potass. permanganate every three hours, this drug having the important chemical property of oxydising the vegetable alkaloids, following this up with suitable doses of magnes. sulphate, arid applying ordinary turpentine liniment to the lumbar regions and extremities as a counter-irritant. In forty-eight hours' time he was able to get up with a little assistance, and was put into slings, and on the eighth day had quite recovered. It may be useful to remember in such cases that datura is precipitated by tannic acid, and the use of any decoction containing tannin, such as tea, which is strong enough to taste of the active principle, may be of value.

AN ABDOMINAL WOUND. BY W. H . WILLIAMSON, M.R.C.V.S., WILLESDEN.

I WAS called about midnight to see a filly, .4 years old, which had been injured in the field where she was turned out. In examination I found, in the anterior part of the side of the abdomen, a punctured wound, about I~ inches long, from which was hanging about a yard of mesentery. . Considering the case to be a very unfavourable one, I strongly advised the owner to have the animal destroyed, but this he declined to do, and insisted that I should do my best to save her. I was afraid that all I could do would be of no avail, but -the owner was determined, so I proceeded to do what I could under very unfavourable circumstances. The filly was in a barn, as surgically dirty as barns usually are, the hour was midnight, and all the help I could get was one man to hold the filly (unbroken) and one man to hold one candle, which was all the light obtainable. However, I managed to get a kettleful of boiling water, and with this and some chinosol lotion I made my hands and instruments as aseptic as circumstances permitted. I cut off the protruded mesentery close to the skin, and, introducing my fingers into the wound, pushed back the remainder of the mesentery. I was unable to find the peritoneal wound, but the mesentery slipped away somewhere, so I inserted two strong silk sutures through the skin and underlying tissues, placing them pretty deep and taking a good hold.

The Vete1'£nary .Tournal. Next day I expected to find my patient dead or dying, but found her feeding heartily. Pulse 56, temperature normal. I gave instructions for the cleaning and dressing of the wound, chinosol being the antiseptic used. On the following day pulse and temperature were both norma_! and the appetite good. On the eighth day a little pus was visible, so I removed one suture to give it vent, and on the tenth day I removed the other suture, the wound being healed. This case is, I think, interesting as showing how guarded one should always be in giving a prognosis, and how a very unlikely case will sometimes do well.

. PARAPLEGIA DUE TO FJECAL OBSTRUCTION . BY CAPT. H. A. SULLIVAN, A.V.D., P RINCI PAL OF THE POO!\A H VETERINARY COLLEGE, INDIA.

THE following case, caused by a lack of knowledge of dietetics, may perhaps be of interest. A chesnut waler mare I was called to attend was down in her box and unable to get up. She was raised up by attendants, but was quite unable to stand without support, her hind quarters being quite paralysed. History of the Case.-The mare had been quite well up till the evening before, but somewhat off her feed. In the early morning she was found down in her loose box, and quite unable to get up of her own will. In this position I examined her. Her pulse was full and hard, temperature normal, and she was slightly tympanitic. Rectal examination revealed a large quantity of very dry freces, which the mare seemed quite incapable of passing. On the catheter being passed, about two quarts of .urine were drawn off. The diet she had been receiving was 4lb. oats, 3 lb. crushed barley, and 3 lb. bran, and she had only been allowed slow walking exercise morning and evening. I ordered an enema, and internally I gave her ol. tereb. 5ij. and ol. lini Oij. During the day her rectum was emptied manually, but no attempt was made by her to pass her freces naturally. At 10 p.m. a second dose of ol. tereb. and ol. lini was administered, and during the night she passed freces naturally, including one very large mass. The next day I saw her and had her raised up, but she was still unable to stand. Feeling certain that the paralysis was due to frecal impaction (having had similar cases in the dog), and having regard to the fact that she had passed dung voluntarily during the night, which showed me that there was no obstruction, I administerd ! a grain of salicylate of eserine hypodermically. Within an hour she had as many as eight motions and appeared much relieved, and the tympanitic symptoms subsided. I got her into slings, and from this time forward she made an excellent recovery, and in the course of seven days was taking convalescent exercise.