From blows of horns, tusks, etc., from rectal abscess. Symptoms:
colic, resulting in septic peritonitis and sinking. Treatment.
Lesions of this kind usually come from blows with the horns of others.
They may lead to artificial anus as in a case reported by Rey, or the
formation of a connecting sac as in that of Walley. In a case seen by
the author a large abscess formed above the rectum, from injuries
sustained in parturition. This ruptured into the gut leaving an immense
empty cavity in which the hand could be moved about freely, but which
gradually contracted so that the cow made a good recovery.
André furnishes an extraordinary record of rupture of the colon, blocked
by a potato. It seems incredible that a potato could have traversed the
stomachs and intestine without digestion.
The _symptoms_ are those of violent colic suddenly appearing in
connection with some manifest cause of injury, and going on to septic
peritonitis and gradual sinking.
_Treatment_ is manifestly useless excepting in the case of some such
fortunate condition as in the case of abscess of the rectum in which the
free use of injections and the antisepsis of the abscess cavity proved
successful.