REPORT ON THE DISEASES OF FARM HORSES. 297 



counter irritants to the abdomen. Hot fomentations may be 

 had recourse to, and, if possible, the Eoman bath. The con- 

 valescent stage will require strict rules of regularity to be ob- 

 served in feeding, both as to quantity and quality, with moderate 

 exercise, easily digested food, vegetable tonics, and hay tea. 



Coma, or Insensibility, and as it is also termed, Sleepy or 

 Stomach Staggers, and Immobility of French Authors, is not 

 an unfrequent result of an overloaded stomach. 



Causes. — Over repletion or impaction of the stomach, by food 

 usually of a different kind to that on which the animal has sub- 

 sisted of late, as for instance, new hay, wheat, or barley. Gastric 

 derangement occurs in the horse readily by such food ; and is 

 most common on farms, where, by the neglect of persons in at- 

 tendance, the animal gains access to the wheat or barley on the 

 barn floor, or to the oats in the bin which has been left open. 

 Impairment of the nervous functions results in a sympathetic 

 derangement of the brain, by which congestion is ensured. 



Symptoms. — It not unfrequently happens that animals under 

 the same management become simultaneously affected when the 

 cause is so apparent that there is no difficulty in pronouncing 

 upon the nature of the case. It is highly necessary, however, 

 to ascertain the full history, in order to arrive at some data 

 as to the real nature and severity which it may attain ; if possible, 

 the kind of food and quantity consumed. 



Constipation is always present, with abdominal pain at 

 intervals, a full and bounding pulse, which speedily becomes 

 slow or tardy, and as the disease advances, small and indistinct, 

 urine suspended, partial sweats, tremors, countenance very ex- 

 pressive of oppression and anxiety — sometimes eructation or 

 belching is observed, the eyelids droop, blindness coming 

 on, in fact, the eyeball may be touched with impunity by the 

 finger in many cases very early, the lips hang pendulous, the 

 jaw resting on the manger, and perhaps body leaning against 

 the stall, or standing posts, with legs wide apart, or probably 

 see-sawing from side to side. The animal is listless, the back 

 bone appears as if incapable of being moved out of a straight 

 line, breathing slow, laboured, and extended, often accompanied 

 with a loud noise — called stertorous — and a moan ; the head is 

 held low, if not resting on anything ; delirium comes on, and the 

 animal drops, sometimes absolutely dead, and at others, endures 

 a most agonising fit of convulsions previously to the termi- 

 nation of life. 



Animals which recover from such extreme states are some- 

 times affected with blindness from amaurosis or paralysis of the 

 nerve of the eye. 



The acute symptoms of impaction of the stomach resulting 

 in rupture are given under the head of Colic. At other times 



u 



