63i INTESTINAL SYMPTOMS AND FUNCTIONAL DISORDERS. 



are apt to produce oversion, and it may be strangulation, of 

 the posterior portion of tliat gut. 



With the continuance of this disturbance and confinement 

 of the bowels for some time, the appetite becomes more impaired, 

 with better-marked symptoms of general weakness ; while, if 

 somewhat more narrowly examined, we may observe that in 

 addition to a small, weak, and somewhat accelerated pulse, we 

 have a foul-smelling mouth, the mucous membrane of -which, 

 particularly of the tongue, is of a soapy character, and in very 

 bad cases we may even find sordes on the gums and lips. 



We require in these cases also to be on our guard not to be 

 misled by the tenesmus and an occasional discharge of fluid 

 matter, for it is not an unfrequent occurrence in such instances 

 of impaction and atony of the intestines that a certain amount 

 of local irritation from the hardened masses may excite a watery 

 or puriform secretion, which, passing between the fsecal matter 

 and the intestinal wall, is discharged in such a manner as to 

 give the appearance of diarrhoea. With some there may be 

 symptoms of abdominal pain : such, however, is not the usual 

 course ; all that is attractive being the general weakness, 

 lassitude, exhaustion, and disturbed appetite, with a trifling 

 amount of local irritability. The cases where abdominal pain is 

 chiefly observed are in horses in work, where the condition of 

 intestinal confinement has been rather sudden in development ; 

 and in which, as a symptom, added to the simple hardening 

 and retention of the contents, we encounter certain products of 

 the morbid intestinal action, usually voided along with the 

 retained fa3ces, and appearing as flocculent or more perfectly 

 solidified casts or envelopes of the hardened masses, sometimes 

 mistaken for collections of destroyed intestinal worms. 



Treatment. — The management of torpidity and confinement 

 of the bowels, to be judicious, must be conducted apart from 

 the use of many purgatives, particularly such as are of an active 

 nature. No doubt drugs of this class must be given ; but we 

 require to use them in moderation, and in conjunction with a 

 carefully regulated dietary. If the animal is still disposed to 

 take a certain amount of food we must be careful to see that its 

 character is fairly nutritious, and such as will tend to promote 

 in the first instance removal of the unnaturally retained ingesta. 

 We ought to remove the animal from the roudi innutritions 



