184 Veterinary Medicine. 



clots. The escaping contents are rarely diffused in the cavity of 

 the abdomen, but remain enclosed in the omentum through the 

 thin meshes of which they can be easil}^ seen, and which has 

 sometimes been mistaken for the walls of the stomach reduced to 

 this attenuated condition by disease. When the omentum gives 

 way the contents are at once diffused through the abdominal 

 cavity between the convolutions of the intestines. In exceptional 

 cases the rupture has its seat in the lesser curvature, or even at 

 the cardia. In .still others the laceration implicates the muscular 

 and peritoneal coats only, and the looser mucosa, filled with 

 ingesta bulges outward as a hernia. In such a case a recovery 

 seems possible if the viscus could be relieved of its contents. 



Treatment is virtually hopeless. Yet a moderate laceration of 

 the two outer coats only might be followed by recovery through 

 the formation of a cicatrix. The first consideration would be the 

 unloading of the stomach spontaneously or by the aid of the 

 stomach pump, and thereafter the adoption of a rigidly restricted 

 diet of easily digestible food (such as gruels) in small quantities 

 at a time. 



Prevention is much more available. In violent colics with 

 overloading or tympany of the stomach, employ anodynes to 

 keep the animal from throwing himself down violently, give a 

 soft bed of litter where the shock on lying down will be lessened, 

 employ antiferments to prevent gaseous distension, and whenever 

 possible relieve the plenitude of the viscus by the stomach pump 

 or tube. 



TORSION OF THE STOMACH IN THE DOG. 



Causes : mobility of dog's stomach when empty, leaping, running down 

 stairs. Lesions : viscus doubled forward, pj'lorus in front of cardia, duo- 

 denum compresses cardia, liver, spleen and omentum displaced, stomach 

 tympanitic, lungs and heart compressed, latter gorged with dark blood. 

 Symptoms : tympanitic abdomen, and half thorax, no rumbling, murmur 

 in front of thorax, abdomen tender, patient stands, dyspnoea, emesis im- 

 possible. Course : violent symptoms in twelve hours, death in thirty-six. 

 Diagnosis : sudden, severe seizure, complete anorexia, tympan}% tenderness, 

 dyspnoea, no vomiting, arrest of peristalsis. Obstruction. Peritonitis. 

 Choking. Treatment : tapping, laparotouiy, replacing the viscus. 



