Anatomical Changes. Symptoms. 293 



Chronic gastric catarrh in general may be brought about 

 by all those factors which may influence the motility of the stom- 

 ach unfavorably. Hence the disease is common in older animals, 

 when their gastric function has become insufficient, particularly 

 if such animals ingest too much food. 



Animal parasites are a frequent cause of chronic gastric 

 catarrh (see gastric diseases due to worms). 



Anatomical Changes. The mucosa of the stomach, partic- 

 ularly in the region of the pylorus, is covered with a turbid 

 gray, tenacious and firmly adherent mucus, which is occasion- 

 ally more like pus or mixed with blood. The mucosa itself is 

 more or less thickened, corrugated either uniformly or only in 

 spots; it is brownish red, especially at the apex of the rugae, 

 and it is slate-gray in color in advanced cases. In a horse dead 

 from exhaustion the wall of the stomach was found to be three 

 times the normal thickness ; the mucosa of the stomach and of 

 the duodenum was of a lardaceous appearance (Pr. Mil. Vb., 

 1907). More rarely the mucosa is pale and thin. In conse- 

 quence of unequal regeneration of tissue the surface of the 

 mucosa becomes peculiarly nodular with prominent polypoid 

 excrescences, especially between the openings of the glands 

 (gastritis prolifera s. verrucosa s. polyposa). Subsequently a 

 dilatation of the stomach usually occurs. 



Symptoms. In the horse chronic gastric catarrh usually 

 manifests itself by a diminished appetite. The animals feed 

 very little or not at all. This variability of appetite is oc- 

 casionally accompanied by morbid desires, causing the animals 

 to ingest alkaline, bitter and also completely indigestible ma- 

 terials. 



The animals are dull and tire easily at work. If the ca- 

 tarrh has existed for some time, emaciation occurs, particularly 

 if the animals have been overworked during this period. The 

 mucosae become pale or yellowish, the abdomen becomes drawn 

 in, the hair coat appears lusterless and rough, the skin non- 

 elastic and sometimes affected with eczema. In some cases the 

 patients also show signs of abdominal pain. 



The tongue appears coated, a tenacious, sticky, sweetish- 

 smelling saliva frequently collects in the mouth. Defecation is 

 retarded, the manure is dry and contains undigested food par- 

 ticles; occasionally there is also light diarrhea. The urine is 

 scanty and forms a considerable sediment on standing. 



Nervous disturbances may occasionally become manifest. 

 Tlie dullness increases to such an extent that it approaches 

 dumb-staggers, and there may be disturbances of locomotion 

 as in vertigo (vertigo abdominalis). 



In the ''Kum-Gata" disease of horses (the Siberian sand disease) 

 one observes languor, feebleness, lack of appetite, increased thirst, con- 



