Anatomical Changes. Symptoms. 251 



after some time. The increasing tension of the wall of the 

 rumen causes an increase in the power of contractions, which 

 is painful to the animal. In milder cases the powerful muscular 

 contractions succeed in transporting a portion of the contents 

 of the rumen, and this relieves the morbid condition. In ex- 

 cessive overloading, the contents do not move, however, in spite 

 of the energetic muscular contractions, and even the escape of 

 gases becomes impossible. After some time there occurs then 

 a paresis of the overworked muscles of the rumen. The more, 

 rapidly the rumen becomes dilated by masses of swollen food 

 and gases the more respiration and circulation become inter- 

 fered with. Decomposition of the contents of the rumen occa- 

 sionally produces poisonous or irritating substances, wliich 

 may cause either a local inflammation or a general intoxication. 



Anatomical Changes. The abdomen appears greatly dilated, 

 the diaphragm is pressed forward, the much dilated rumen 

 contains excessively large quantities of repulsively smelling feed 

 in addition to variable amounts of gas. On post-mortem ex- 

 amination one finds the signs of suffocation. If the disease 

 has lasted somewhat longer, the omasum contains desiccated 

 masses of feed; the mucosa of the rumen, sometimes also that 

 of the other parts of the stomach, shows diffuse reddening or 

 hemorrhagic points. 



Symptoms. The animal refuses its food; if in the open 

 air thev do not move, they place the legs under the abdomen 

 or spread them apart, arch their back and stare. They mani- 

 fest colicky pains and move the head towards the abdomen 

 and push the latter from time to time with their horns, or they 

 kick Avith their hind legs, Avag their tails, groan, lie down occa- 

 sionally but get up again at once. The colicky pains, while not 

 attaining a high degree, are rarely absent. Groaning is usually 

 heard, either only during a change of position of the body (get- 

 ting up, Iving down) or independently of it. ^ 



Appetite and rumination are only diminished m the milder 

 cases but are absent from the start in the more severe type. 

 Even in milder cases complete lack of appetite supervenes it 

 the animals are offered a chance to ingest rough feed. The in- 

 gestion of water ceases first, although thirst seems to be in- 

 creased in some cases. Occasionally the patients execute masti- 

 catory movements and foamy saliva runs out of the mouth. 

 Repulsively smelling gases are expelled by belching, f rom^ time 

 to time. "Occasionally there occurs gagging, even vomiting, 

 with the expulsion of much feed mash. 



The abdomen is at first only moderately enlarged and the 

 depression of the left flank seen on an empty stomach is filled 

 out. In the further course or in excessive overfilling, the size 

 of the abdomen is much increased, particularly on the left side, 



