ACUTE INDIGESTION — GORGED STOMACH, ETC. 611 



cases, should the food be rather bulky, difficult of digestion, or 

 susceptible of rapid chemical changes, the consequences are 

 likely to be troublesome. 



Symptoms. — These are generally sudden in development ; at 

 least they follow immediately as sequels to the condition of 

 impaction, the animal having previously been in his usual 

 state of health. They are not invariably of a similar character, 

 but are capable of being arranged in two groups. 



1. They may, with trifling modifications, be characterized 

 as gastric or ahdorainal. In these, the earliest indications 

 are those of fugitive abdominal pain, lying down, resting 

 for a little, rising to the feet, and again resuming the 

 recumbent position ; shortly followed by greater restlessness, 

 continued or interrupted pawing with the fore-feet, protruding 

 of the head, and, in some cases, eructations, with, in rarer 

 instances, attempts at vomition and a discharge of liquid 

 matter from the nose. When the distension of the stomach is 

 considerable, consisting of gas and solid ingesta, the animal 

 may show signs of acute pain, at each eructation straining to 

 vomit ; he will likewise be most careful at first in lying or 

 throwing himself down. 



In three cases which I had the opportunity of watching, 

 where the animals had eaten a large quantity of haws, there 

 was, during the whole course of the severity of the symptoms, 

 great abdominal pain, dropping at first quietly, and afterwards 

 throwing themselves to the ground, tossing wildly about, 

 occasionally resting on the abdomen, continued eructation with 

 ejection of a sour-smelling brown-coloured fluid from the 

 nose, and persistent attempts to vomit. 



2, In numerous instances the evidence of pain and gastric 

 disturbance pure and simple is not great, but the symptoms of 

 cerebral complication are more marked. The horse is dull 

 and semicomatose, stands with his head low and disposed to 

 press the forehead against some resisting body — as the wall or 

 manger, or whatever is most accessible — refuses to eat, is moved 

 with difficulty, and when forced to change his position shows 

 want of control over his movements and an inclination to resume 

 the placing of his head against some fixed object, the breathing 

 being more or less stertorous. 



When the abdominal pain is a marked feature the pulse 



39—2 



