Symptoms. Treatment. Internal Closure of the Intestines. 379 



the feathers around the cloacal opening may likewise prevent 

 defecation. 



Symptoms. The birds drop dry feces in small amounts at 

 long intervals and with effort; this attracts attention since 

 under normal conditions their feces are dropped with great 

 ease and are soft and mushy in consequence of the admixture 

 with urine. If obstipation has lasted for some time there is list- 

 lessness, depression, lack of appetite, and attention is attracted 

 to the birds even if the irregularity in defecation has escaped 

 notice. 



If the disease is neglected it may lead to death in conse- 

 quence of necrosis of the intestinal wall, and exhaustion. 



Treatment. If there is a mechanical impediment it must 

 at once be removed; matted feathers may be untangled after 

 wetting them with water ; desiccated masses accumulated in the 

 cloaca can be removed with a spoon. To remove the feces con- 

 tained in the rectum, the careful injection of olive oil or soap 

 water is to be recommended ; in small birds a dull sound dipped 

 in glycerin or castor oil may be introduced into the rectum. 



If the impaction is in some part of the intestines nearer to 

 the stomach, castor oil (table or tea spoonful doses), rheum 

 (0.4-0.6 gm. with butter or honey in pill form), or eventually 

 calomel (0.05-0.2 gm.) may be used with advantage. Neutral 

 salts may be given in weak solutions (1:200) with the drinking- 

 water. 



The dietetic treatment requires green feed, soaked grains, 

 boiled bran, lettuce, carrots, fruit. 



21. Internal Closure of the Intestine. Obturatio intestini. 



B}^ obturation of the intestines is meant a sudden narrow- 

 ing or a complete closure of the lumen of the intestine hj some 

 body situated in the bowel. The affection occurs almost exclu- 

 sively among horses and carnivora. 



Occurrence. Obturation of the intestines is a rare affection 

 of horses. Among the horses of the Prussian Army this form 

 of obstruction of the intestines was seen in seventeen years only 

 in 0.3% of the cases of colic; in the Budapest Clinic it formed 

 0.2 to 0.7% of the cases of colic. (Holterbach claims that for- 

 eign bodies in the duodenum are not rare in cattle.) 



Etiology. Obturation of the intestines in horses is usually 

 brought about by enteroliths or lumps of fecal matter, more 

 rarely by parasites, exceptionally only by foreign bodies. 



Intestinal calculi (enteroliths) are mainly composed of 

 phosphate of ammonia and magnesia (90%) ; they also contain 

 some (y2-lMi%) carbonate and phosphate of lime, common salt, 



