392 THE PRACTICE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE. 



other diffusible stimulants are also useful. The body 

 should be clothed and the extremities well hand-rubbed 

 and bandaged with flannel, and the animal, while being 

 allowed an abundance of fresh air, should be carefully 

 guarded from draughts. Give good food in proper quanti- 

 ties, groom well, etc. 



GASTRITIS. 



Gastritis, or inflammation of the stomach, may be caused 

 by the presence of irritants or poisons in the stomach. 

 An overdose of arsenic causes gastritis, as does drinking 

 brine, eating of the yew-tree, etc. 



Symptoms. — The animal manifests great pain, and some- 

 times sweats freely ; the pulse runs down, etc. It is a 

 very fatal disease, although not so invariably fatal as en- 

 teritis. A case may be met with in which the irritation 

 may be due to the presence of ' bots,' but such a case is the 

 exception, and not the rule. The disease is not common 

 in the horse, but is of frequent occurrence ajnongst dogs, 

 and is somewhat common amongst cattle. A symptom 

 usually observed is paralysis, staggering gait, etc. 



Treatment — If possible, the cause of the gastric inflamma- 

 tion should be ascertained ; and, if it is found to be due to the 

 l^resence of arsenic in the stomach, the various preparations 

 of iron will be found useful, the best preparation being the 

 freshly prepared hydrated sesquioxide of iron. If the 

 nervous system be much depressed, nothing can be done 

 except to give small and repeated doses of stimulants and 

 mucilaginous draughts. If great pain be manifested, give 

 opiates. If mercury is found to be the cause of the trouble, 

 albumen, as the white of eggs, wheat-flour, etc., should be 

 given in large quantities. Judicious counter-irritation over 

 the region of the stomach and bowels is also of considerable 

 service ; and, in those cases where the case is got before 



