CHRONIC IXDIGESTIOX. 619 



combined witli gentian or a small quantity of nux vomica, in 

 ball, twice daily. 



At this stage, some of the mineral acid in small doses, 

 much diluted with water, and combined with some prepara- 

 tion of quinme, may be tried, and if found to agree, may be 

 continued. The best of such combinations is probably from 

 half a drachm to a drachm of the dilute nitric acid, with 

 twenty to thirty grains of sulphate of quinine. 



In the greater number of cases, however, I have found most 

 benefit from bitter stomachics, as gentian, quassia, or nux 

 vomica, combined with alkalies, as the potash or soda car- 

 bonates, particularly during the early stages. 



When the more active symptoms are somewhat abated, and 

 food is received without bad results, a course of arsenic will 

 often tend to re-establish the tone of the stomach. 



This is best administered in the form of liquor arsenicalis, 

 or powdered arsenic with bicarbonate of potash, the former in 

 half-ounce doses twice daily in the food or drinking-water, the 

 latter as two grains of arsenic, with two drachms of the salt 

 twice daily. 



CHAPTER XXXVII. 



GASTRITIS— INFLAMMATION OF THE STOMACH. 



I. Acute Gastritis. 



Definition. — Injlammatory action of varying intensity affect- 

 ing the stomach, tending to softening and other textural 

 changes, cldefly involving the 'pyloric portion. 



Causation. — In the horse, gastritis rarely shows itself as an 

 idiopathic or independent affection, and is only known pro- 

 bably as the result of irritation of the mucous membrane. Of 

 the existence of gastritis per se during life, and as indepen- 

 dent of gastric impaction or intestinal complication, we may 

 not be certain, seeing that the clinical phenomena which it 

 exhibits are not sufficiently specialized to enable us to regard 

 them as diagnostic of gastric inflammatory action apart from 

 other complications. 



