STAGGERS. 9? 



STAGGERS, STOMACH AND GRASS (ACUTE 

 INDIGESTION). 



Stomach staggers, according to Robertson, " is chiefly, 

 if not entirely, the result of filling the stomach to reple- 

 tion." Some foods are worse than others, such as brewers' 

 grain, damaged wheat, ripe vetches, and cooked food. The 

 disorder is not uncommon, and is sometimes very danger- 

 ous. In frequency, however, it has fallen off about fifty 

 per cent, in the past sixty years. Cause— regular and 

 judicious feeding. The infrequency of the disorder in 

 France is attributed to the use of laxative and digestible 

 foods. Sleepy, mad, and apoplectic staggers are apparently 

 only conditions or effects of stomach staggers, for severe 

 cases of the latter perhaps always affect the brain more 

 or less. 



Grass staggers is caused by rye grass. It paralyzes the 

 limbs, especially the hind limbs, having little if any affect 

 on the brain. Eobertson says it is caused by the seed 

 stems of the grass, which horses eat in preference to any 

 other part, and that the time of danger is the ripening 

 time. Cattle and sheep are little affected, for they eat the 

 body of the grass, losing, if they lose any part, the stem. 

 Lambs, however, he says, sometimes suffer, for they nip 

 the stems, but more in play than to obtain food. Williams 

 says the grass is also dangerous when it has been cut and 

 allowed to heat and ferment before being used. Little is 

 positively known about the specific poison in question. 



Symptoms.— Stomach staggers: Usually sudden "fu- 

 gitive abdominal pain;" lies down, but soon up; down 

 again ; soon greater restlessness ; continued or interrupted 

 pawing ; head protruded ; in some cases belching ; in rare 

 cases attempts at vomiting, with a liquid discharge from 

 the nose. In severe cases acute pain, belching, straining 

 to vomit ; lies down carefully. 



The sleepy stage (condition) is characterized by dullness \ 



