326 Acute Intestinal Catarrli. 



with grave general symptoms after the ingestion of Swedish 

 clover which had grown abnndantly and Inxuriantly on a pas- 

 ture. Cattle often sliow signs of acute intestinal catarrh with 

 profuse diarrhea after the ingestion of green leaves of sugar 

 beets. 



Microorganisms frequently play an important part in the 

 production of the affection. Intestinal catarrh is produced in 

 tliis manner after the ingestion of rotten or sour feed, as for 

 instance sour beer draffs, after the ingestion of meat from sick 

 animals, which is infected with pathogenic l)acteria. Uebele 

 claims that dogs sometimes become sick with acute intestinal 

 catarrh if they receive exclusively horse meat which is other- 

 wise unobjectionable. These attacks may even run a fatal 

 course, and it is claimed that the toxic element can be demon- 

 strated in the bouillon from such meat and that it may be made 

 innocuous by sheep or cattle fat. 



Whether bacteria which are usually present in large numbers in the intestines, 

 particularly in their posterior portion, may be the cause of disease of the intestines 

 cannot yet be stated definitely. Oliservations made in human medicine make it very 

 probable that bacteria that are usually harmless may produce inflammatory pro- 

 cesses in the intestines of animals if they have become more virulent or if the 

 epithelial covering of the mucosa has become weakened. 



Very fibrous vegetable parts which are not, or only w^ith 

 difficulty, digested, as well as ingested sand, sometimes injure 

 the mucosa, while the great majority of laxatives will only pro- 

 duce a catarrhal condition in the intestinal mucosa. 



External and internal cooling of the body does not only 

 cause energetic peristalsis by reflex irritation, but it may also 

 produce an intestinal catarrli ; this is evidently the cause of the 

 frequency of this affection during the colder season (pasturing 

 on frosted meadows, feeding on frozen potatoes, beets, the in- 

 gestion of ice-cold water), while the not uncommon occurrence 

 of the disease during the warmer season (summer diarrhea) is 

 probably usually due to the ingestion of impure water. Work- 

 ing oxen sometimes develop short attacks of intestinal catarrh 

 during the summer if they drink too much water while heated 

 (Cruzel). 



As further causes must be mentioned, intestinal worms, in- 

 testinal calculi, desiccated feces, the irritating effect of which 

 may be further increased by the presence of bones and other 

 foreign bodies. Catarrli of the rectum may be due to improper 

 manipulation in examination and treatment. 



An infection must be assumed to be the cause of the aifec- 

 tion if in the absence of errors of diet, numerous animals of a 

 large herd sicken within a short period of time, as occurs fre- 

 quently among herds of smiie (Aronsohn, Esser, authors' ob- 

 servation). In young fowls we observe an enzootic intestinal 

 catarrh which is prolmbly due to infection (Klee). 



Intestinal catarrh is often observed to be secondary to 

 acute infectious diseases; it also presents itself almost con- 



