e and continuous pressure must be used, under the
influence of which the object will generally in a short time pass into the
stomach. One must be careful not to pass the probang into the larynx and
thence into the windpipe, as an animal may readily be killed in this way.
This accident is indicated by efforts to cough and by violently disturbed
breathing. If such symptoms arise the probang must be withdrawn at once. To
avoid a wrong passage, the end of the tube should be pressed very slowly
through the throat until its presence in the esophagus is assured. After it
is once in the esophagus care is still necessary, because the walls of this
tube may easily be torn.

Some writers have advised that when the obstruction is lodged in the
cervical (neck) portion of the gullet it should be struck with a mallet, to
crush it and thus alter its shape, so that it may easily slip down into the
stomach. If the obstructing substance is hard, this will be a dangerous
operation, but if soft--as in the case of a ripe pear, for example--this
procedure may be safely adopted.

In all cases, if pressure applied on the neck fails to move the obstruction
and the probang also fails to move it, it may be divided by a subcutaneous
operation, or the gullet may be opened and the obstructing substance
removed through the wound. In such cases the assistance of a veterinarian
or a surgeon must be obtained.

WOUNDS AND INJURIES OF THE GULLET.

Sometimes the walls of the gullet may be more or less lacerated or abraded
by the rash and too forcible use of the probang, and the animal
consequently swallows with pain and difficulty. In such cases dry feed must
be withheld for five or six days, so as to allow the injured parts to heal,
and the diet must be limited to linseed tea, hay tea, and thin oatmeal
gruel and molasses. The same kind of diet must be fed after the operation
of cutting into the gullet has been performed.

Sometimes the gullet is ruptured and lacerated to such an extent that
treatment of any kind is hopeless. This has been known to occur when the
handle of a pitchfork or buggy whip has been pushed down a cow's throat to
remove an obstruction. When such treatment has been applied it is best to
slaughter the animal without delay, as the flesh may be utilized so long as
there is no fever or general disease, and remedial treatment would be
hopeless. In this connection it may be mentioned that whatever substitute
may be used for a probang,