Il8 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 



arched; the whole abdomen or belly is distended with a 

 prominent swelling on the left side just forward of the 

 point of the hip. If the swelling is tapped lightly with 

 the fingers there is a hollow, drum-like sound ; hence the 

 technical name, tympanitis. 



"The rumen being distended with gas not only makes 

 the animal appear much fuller than usual, but it presses 

 forward on the diaphragm, or ^midriff,' and this presses 

 against the lungs, and interferes seriously with the ani- 

 mal's breathing. The breath is short and rapid. The 

 animal often grunts, or moans, with each breath. The 

 animal's nose protrudes, and there is a driveling of saliva 

 from the mouth. Sometimes there are quite severe 

 colicky pains, shown by the animal's kicking at its belly 

 and stepping about uneasily. Sometimes, also, the pres- 

 sure is so great as to cause eversion or bulging out of the 

 rectum. The symptoms of bloating are so prominent, 

 especially when the history of the case is taken into 

 account, as to make this disease very easy to recognize, 

 even by an ordinary observer. 



"When animals die from bloating, death usually takes 

 place in the following manner: The diaphragm is 

 pressed against the lungs so hard that the animal cannot 

 breathe, and it dies of suffocation. Animals usually 

 remain standing until near the end, when ^hey gradually 

 lose consciousness, stagger, and fall, and in falling rup- 

 ture some of the vital organs. 



"Treatment must depend somewhat upon the condition 

 of the animal. If the animal is badly bloated, with la- 

 bored breathing and staggering gait, energetic meas- 

 ures must be resorted to at once. The best and most 



