266 Atony of the Fore-stomachs. 



function of the muscularis of the fore-stomachs also occurs 

 after intense psychic stimuli (excitement, pain, longing for the 

 calf). Atony due to these causes is probably combined with 

 lack of secretion in the abomasum and usually disappears in a 

 short time, but if neglected it may lead to the more serious 

 chronic atonic condition. The same may be said of the acute 

 atony seen after the course of acute, febrile atfections or after 

 parturient paresis which may last for some time and which may 

 be intensified by the aspiration of the contents of the reticulum. 



In its usual "chronic form atony of the fore-stomachs may 

 occasionally be caused by dilatation of the rumen, particularly 

 if this affection takes a protracted course, in consequence of 

 which the muscle fibers become paretic. 



Usually, however, the affection is due to prolonged im- 

 proper feeding. As harmful in this respect must be men- 

 tioned food which is dry, not easily digestible and not very 

 nutritious, such as chaff, straw, marsh hay, garbage from tlie 

 garden or the kitchen, particularly if it contains fragments of 

 bones, also oil cakes, l)ran, shelled grain or leguminosa?. Not 

 less dangerous are tough, fibrous food stuffs, such as coarse 

 alfalfa, raspberry bushes, brush hay, because such materials 

 are liable to accumulate in the rumen. The obnoxious effect of 

 such feed upon the function of the stomach may be increased 

 by a deficiency in the ingestion of water. The disease is liable, 

 on the other hand, to make its appearance if the animals have 

 been fed for a long time with fermentive, spoiled, wet or frozen 

 feed ; also with boiled potatoes or with a thin floury mash (Eber- 

 liardt) without any rough feed at all. 



Other causes that may be enumerated are insufficient mas- 

 tication and mixing of the food with saliva, in consequence of 

 faulty teeth or in chronic disease of the tongue, greedy feeding, 

 or the frequent prevention of rumination in work cattle. 



The affection develops in young calves in connection with 

 gastro-intestinal catarrh, if these animals, after having pre- 

 viously been fed exclusively with milk, receive too suddenly or 

 too early, bread, crushed oats, germinating malt, hay, etc., in 

 addition to skimmed milk (Imminger). 



Predisposing causes are early youth and old age, and de- 

 bility after chronic, acute and febrile diseases. 



Secondary atony of the fore-stomachs cannot usually l)e dif- 

 ferentiated clinically from the primary form. An exception is 

 that form of secondary atony which is observed in the course 

 of traumatic gastritis, and other forms of inflammation of the 

 fore-stomachs or of the abomasum. For this reason and in con- 

 sideration of etiologic factors, it Avill be treated in a special 

 chapter (q. v.). 



In tlie advanced stages of pregnancy all sef'tions of the 

 stomach are sometimes so compressed by the pregnant uterus 

 that atony results. More extensive adhesions of the fore-stom- 

 achs among each other, or with neighboring organs, diminish 



