Course. Diagnosis. Treatment. 339 



Hogs become very restless in consequence of catarrhal in- 

 testinal pains ; they lie down frequently, roll, groan, sigh, or cry 

 out aloud. After the expulsion of flatus and after several defe- 

 cations they become quiet. 



Course. In the course of mild cases the attacks of pain last 

 only a few quarters of an hour ; the affection rarely extends over 

 six hours, but even after the symptoms of pain and restlessness 

 have disappeared, the intestinal sounds persist for some time. 

 The very mild character of the catarrhal affection of the intes- 

 tinal wall fully explains the rapid recovery after the irritating 

 substances have been carried off or the causative factors have 

 been favorably influenced. The course is favorable almost with- 

 out exception ; only very rarely do excessively strong intestinal 

 contractions lead to volvulus. 



Diagnosis. The appearance of abdominal pain in par- 

 oxysms, the absence of an increase of the abdominal circumfer- 

 ence in the horse, usually also in cattle and swine, in connection 

 with a lively peristalsis with commonly more frequent defeca- 

 tion, the absence of general disturbances, the negative result of 

 an exploration per rectum are characteristic for the affection 

 under discussion. Embolism of smaller intestinal arteries oc- 

 casionally also causes abdominal pain. A differential diagnosis 

 is only possible, and then not always, if the history shows peri- 

 odic attacks of abdominal pain without any external cause, with 

 a normal character of the feces, and when rectal exploration 

 demonstrates throml)osis of the mesenteric artery, in which case 

 one may, of course, assume an embolic closure of some small in- 

 testinal vessels. — Abdominal pains due to uterine contractions, 

 which in mares come on towards the end of gestation and are 

 due to energetic fetal movements, do not lead to an intensifica- 

 tion of the intestinal sounds and the fetal movements can easily 

 be perceived. — Strangulation or invagination in cattle can 

 be excluded from the history and the findings. 



Treatment. Warm applications upon the abdomen and rec- 

 tal injections with warm water have a tendency to stop the 

 cramps of the intestines. Warm applications may be made in 

 such a manner that two sacks are sewed together, dipped in 

 water of 40° C, placed upon the abdomen and covered with a dry 

 blanket. The application must be renew^ed every ten minutes. 

 If in horses the abdominal pain is very intense morphine (0.3-0.5 

 gm.) may be given subcutaneously or chloral hydrate per rec- 

 tum. To expel the decomposing intestinal contents rapidly mild 

 laxatives may be given which are not liable to lead to cramps, 

 neutral salts, castor oil, combined with ether for horses) ; the 

 diet should be regulated as in acute intestinal catarrh (see page 

 331). 



