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Symptoms of intestinal obstruction—An unusual cause
CLINICAL ARTICLES.
SYMPTOMS OF INTESTINAL OBSTRUCTIONAN UN USUAL CAUSE.
By ROBERT G. ANDERSON, M.R.C.V.S. Wellington, Somerset.
Subject.-A ten years old cart mare, in good condition, and in foal with one month to go. On the morning of I Ith May last, she showed signs of abdominal pain, regarded as due to obstruction from intestinal impaction. There was no previous history of colic except for one slight attack four years ago. Treat11lent.-Stimulants, nerve tonics in milk and linseed tea; aided by clysters and doses of 01. ricilli. This treatment was supplemented by hot water fomentations to the abdomen. Chloral hydrate was given at long intervals when the pain seemed greater, to conserve strength. Caution in the matter of physic was observed on account of the pregnant state of the mare. Later it seemed as if this caution was to cost the life of both mare and foal, and, seeming to be necessary, aloes was given in a moderate dose. Death occurred forty-eight hours after the case was first seen. Peculiarities noticeable had been the soft nature of the bowel contents on evacuation by hand, and evidence on auscultation of general free motion of fluid in the bowels from twelve hours after oil was given, although in twenty-four hours no passage had been obtained. The absence of evidence of impacted colon on manual exploration was not regarded as proof that such did not exist somewhere in its course; this indeed was the opinion most inclined to, but the peculiarities mentioned prevented that opinion being held without reserve. A calculus was not suspected. Post-mortem examination showed a constricted condition of the terminal portion of the ileum, so that two fingers close pressed together could with difficulty be passed through. Loosely wedged into the narrowing part anterior to the constriction was a ball-like mass of loosely coiled worms-ascarides. These, I take it, had been detached from the walls of the small intestine under the action of medicines given, and passed backwards to the constricted part, where ebb and flow had caused their balling. The cause of constriction may have been the long continued irritation from parasites adherent here, but none were found in the large bowels, nor had any been seen to pass.
SYMPTOMS OF INTESTINAL OBSTRUCTIONAN UN USUAL CAUSE.
By ROBERT G. ANDERSON, M.R.C.V.S. Wellington, Somerset.
Subject.-A ten years old cart mare, in good condition, and in foal with one month to go. On the morning of I Ith May last, she showed signs of abdominal pain, regarded as due to obstruction from intestinal impaction. There was no previous history of colic except for one slight attack four years ago. Treat11lent.-Stimulants, nerve tonics in milk and linseed tea; aided by clysters and doses of 01. ricilli. This treatment was supplemented by hot water fomentations to the abdomen. Chloral hydrate was given at long intervals when the pain seemed greater, to conserve strength. Caution in the matter of physic was observed on account of the pregnant state of the mare. Later it seemed as if this caution was to cost the life of both mare and foal, and, seeming to be necessary, aloes was given in a moderate dose. Death occurred forty-eight hours after the case was first seen. Peculiarities noticeable had been the soft nature of the bowel contents on evacuation by hand, and evidence on auscultation of general free motion of fluid in the bowels from twelve hours after oil was given, although in twenty-four hours no passage had been obtained. The absence of evidence of impacted colon on manual exploration was not regarded as proof that such did not exist somewhere in its course; this indeed was the opinion most inclined to, but the peculiarities mentioned prevented that opinion being held without reserve. A calculus was not suspected. Post-mortem examination showed a constricted condition of the terminal portion of the ileum, so that two fingers close pressed together could with difficulty be passed through. Loosely wedged into the narrowing part anterior to the constriction was a ball-like mass of loosely coiled worms-ascarides. These, I take it, had been detached from the walls of the small intestine under the action of medicines given, and passed backwards to the constricted part, where ebb and flow had caused their balling. The cause of constriction may have been the long continued irritation from parasites adherent here, but none were found in the large bowels, nor had any been seen to pass.