Course, Diagnosis. 281 



is also discharged tliroiigii this opening. The fistula so formed 

 later on sometimes discharges particles of masticated food 

 from the stomach and closes only gradually. It may close after 

 weeks and months and lead to final complete recovery; or a 

 cachectic condition may develop gradually, in consequence of 

 gastric disturbances and extensive adhesions, which finally leads 

 to death. 



Course. Obstruction of the gastric openings caused by dull 

 bodies is of short duration and either ends in recovery within 

 a few days, that is, if the foreign body is removed either by 

 vomiting or by returning into the interior of the stomach, or 

 death rapidly follows if the obstruction persists. Chronic 

 gastric atony due to dull foreign bodies usually lasts for weeks 

 and months ; in the meantime the animals become more or less 

 emaciated or they die within nine to seventeen days if the 

 stomachs are filled with sand or similar material (Krichels). 



The inflammation which is caused by pointed or sharp 

 foreign bodies subsides within a few days or weeks if the gastric 

 wall has been only injured but not perforated, or there may 

 be established chronic gastric disturbances which are due to 

 adhesions. If, hov/ever, the pointed foreign body has perforated 

 the stomach wall, complete recovery may occur in rare instances 

 if this foreign body slips back into the fore-stomachs or if it 

 pushes itself into the outside world; nevertheless, as a rule 

 the animal exhibits gastric disturbances until death occurs. 

 In certain cases a shorter or longer period of improvement is 

 followed by an aggravation because the foreign body wdnch 

 has slipped back into the stomach again penetrated into the 

 gastric wall. Such variations in the picture of the disease may 

 occur repeatedly. The possibility of recovery seems to be 

 excluded when symptoms appear pointing to inflammation of 

 the neighboring organs. A fatal issue may take place within 

 a few days if the foreign body penetrates rapidly, Imt 

 the disease usually lasts for weeks and months. 



The appearance of complications has always a bad prog- 

 nostic meaning. Fever likewise is an important factor and 

 a long continued elevation of temperature points to progressive 

 deeply penetrating inflammatory processes. 



Diagnosis. The exact origin of gastric disturbances due 

 to dull foreign bodies can only be surmised from the history 

 of the case, although sudden bloating excites suspicion as to 

 hair and food balls in the stomach, particularly if the animals 

 have recently shown strong inclination to licking. Exceptionally 

 the correct diagnosis can be made if the foreign bodies are 

 found in vomited material or in the feces. Lodgment of hair 

 balls in the cardia of calves may be assumed, according to 

 Schauber, if bloating does not yield after the administration 

 of tincture of veratrum (30 to 40 gm. three times daily). 



