DYSENTERY COLIC 547 



DYSENTERY. 



SYMPTOMS. -This complaint is distinguished from 

 the last disease by being always accompanied with 

 fever, and other symptoms of an inflammatory con- 

 dition of the intestines, whereas diarrhoea is generally 

 a state of simple irritation or weakness of the bowels. 

 In dysentery there is great pain, frequent gripings, 

 especially when at stool ; the matter discharged is in 

 hard balls, accompanied by mucous blood, and often 

 purulent matter from the bowels. Sheep affected with 

 dysentery have generally the wool clapped, with a 

 languid expression of eye, the mouth dry, and rough 

 skin, with a greatly accelerated pulse. When the 

 disease is in an advanced state, the faeces are very 

 black and fetid. The animal eats very little, and is 

 rendered incapable of ruminating. This complaint 

 frequently ends fatally by ulceration of the bowels. 



REMEDIES. The treatment of dysentery should be 

 commenced with a change of food, e.g., crushed oats, 

 bran and rye grass and clover hay. If costive, the 

 bowels to be moved with castor oil, three ounces ; and 

 laudanum, thirty drops. In twenty-four hours follow 

 this up by the daily administration of one drachm of 

 pulv. rhubarb with half an ounce of prepared chalk, 

 mixed in a pint of warm milk. The food should be 

 sprinkled with salt. Hay and a slice of Swedish 

 turnip may be given to him during the continuance of 

 the malady. 



COLIC. 



It not unfrequently happens after sheep-shearing, 

 that they are affected with flatulent colic, when the 

 weather is cold and damp. They roll much about 



