Course. Diiiyiiosis. 271 



Permanent iniijrovement may be looked for if simultane- 

 ously with the appearance of fiat, grumous masses of feces, sup- 

 posedly coming from the reticulum, the bloating disappears, the 

 rumen does no longer contain firm masses, its circumference be- 

 comes diminished, its motions become more frequent and more 

 energetic, and the groaning and sighing subside. In adult ani- 

 mals improvement is very gradual and leads to complete re- 

 covery only after four to twenty-five days (Cadeac) ; how- 

 ever, it may be interrupted by a recurrence by improper attend- 

 ance on the part of the owner of the animal. Atony due to com- 

 pression l)y the uterus disappears within a few days after calv- 

 ing, in favorable cases. If properly treated, calves likewise re- 

 cover within a few days (Imminger). 



Unfavorable signs are entire absence of appetite and of the 

 motions of the rumen, continuous bloating, constipation resist- 

 ing every method of treatment or, on the contrary, continued 

 diarrhea, fever or subnormal temperature, marked tenderness 

 on pressure of the rumen, continuous sighing, inability to rise, 

 a paretic condition, convulsions, cachexia. 



The duration of the disease is from several weeks to several 

 months (after Bouley twenty-five to thirty days, after Cadeac 

 one to two months, after Dieckerhoff usually many months, 

 even one to two years). Sometimes, however, the affection only 

 lasts eight to ten days (seen by Eber in cows in advanced 

 pregnancy). 



Diagnosis. The clinical s^THptoms and the frequently help- 

 ful history of the case usually permit a diagnosis of atony of 

 the fore-stomachs. Severe general diseases Avhich in their 

 course also lead to a diminution of the movements of the 

 fore-stomachs, are from the start disting-uished by fever and 

 other prominent sjauptoms and also by their rapid onset. 

 Dilatation of the rumen occurs after excessive feeding of ani- 

 mals which were previously healthy. The rumen is consider- 

 ably dilated ; if the condition is at all severe, its movement can- 

 not be seen at all. Acute bloating could only be confounded 

 with those cases of atony of the stomach where there has acci- 

 dentally been a higher degree of meteorism. The rapid develop- 

 ment of bloating following the ingestion of easily fermenting 

 food in large amounts by a previously healthy animal, and the 

 complete recovery in the shortest time after proper treatment, 

 easily secure the diagnosis of acute meteorism. The forms of 

 chronic bloating not depending upon disease of the fore-stom- 

 achs or abomasum (see page 263) are characterized by the fact 

 that a collection of gas is the most prominent or even the only 

 s^nnptom, while the function of tlie fore-stomachs suffers only 

 dui-ing strong bloating; besides all s^nnptoms disappear for the 

 time being as soon as the meteorism has been relieved. Acute 

 gastro-intestinal catarrh and gastro-intestinal inflammation can 

 be differentiated by their usually sudden onset, by fever, ])y the 



