GASTRITIS 567 



GASTRITIS 



In the horse this affection may be acute or chronic. It is au inflamed 

 condition of the stomach, in which the secreting glands participate, and 

 result in failure to digest the food and a pouring out of excessive quantities 

 of fluid. 



Causes. — Engorgement with food, particularly when it is of a coarse and 

 innutritions nature, as in the case of hill-ponies subsisting upon heath and 

 ligneous fibres with but little grass. Over-stimulating food given in exces- 

 sive quantity is another cause, or it may be induced by diseases in adjacent 

 structui'es, as the liver. The accidental or intentional administration of 

 irritant poisons, as arsenic, lead, and zinc, or by eating poisonous compounds 

 out of curiosity. Sheep-dips composed largely of arsenic and having a 

 saline taste are readily eaten when left within reach by careless persons. 

 The leaves of yew trees and the young shoots of some rhododendrons are 

 also causes of gastritis. 



Symptoms. — These are abdominal pain evinced by restlessness, looking 

 round at the side, scraping with the front feet or striking at the belly with 

 the hind limbs ; and to differentiate between pain caused by any other 

 abdominal affection, we must look for other symptoms, as a frothy dischai'ge 

 of saliva from the mouth, or hanging ropes of thick glassy mucus from the 

 cornel's of it, a depressed and anxious countenance and nausea exhibited by 

 turning up the lip. The breath is more often sour and offensive than in 

 cases of prolonged colic, which in many respects it resembles. The conjunc- 

 tival membranes are reddened, the pulse is quick and irritable, and the 

 breathing hurried. 



Treatment. — Before any remedial measures can be taken, it is of the 

 utmost importance to obtain a history of the case, and if possible ascertain 

 which of the causes enumerated is to be held responsible for the result. If 

 dietetic errors alone are traceable, in the correction of these, aided by 

 stomachic medicines, success may be looked for. A gentle purge with 

 linseed oil or saline doses consisting of Epsom or Glauber salts should be 

 first given, in order to get rid of offending material and prepare the way for 

 suitable food, which should be given in small quantities only and assisted by 

 such agents as nux vomica, calumba root, and either a course of alkalies, 

 bicarbonate of soda or potash, or else the mineral acids. When the alkalies 

 prove unsuitable a mixture of acids, as nitro-hydrochloric, may have the 

 desired effect, and although in theory it would seem that what is known as 

 an acid condition would be necessarily benefited by ant-acids, it is not always 

 the case in practice. 



If acute gastritis is the result of irritant poisons, and their nature can be 

 ascertained, direct antidotes may be given to neutralize chemically any 

 remaining portion that may not have been already absorbed, or physiological 

 ones administered to counteract their effect. With the horse we are pre- 

 cluded from the use of emetics, and as a rule too much time is lost to 

 neutralize the poison or employ agents which will render it innocuous. If 

 either of the mineral acids have been given, or carbolic, an effort should bo 

 made to neutralize them with chalk, carbonate of soda or potash, or white- 

 wash from the walls. Eggs and niilk also mask the btvd effects, and mq,y be 



