411: THE PRACTICE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE. 



according to the judgment of the practitioner and the 

 urgency of the case. Cattle require relatively larger 

 doses than horses. Flour, starch, etc., in water, are often 

 used with good results. The inordinate thirst which 

 generally accompanies diarrhoea should not be gratified, but 

 the animal should be allowed regulated quantities of water 

 with the chill taken off— flour, starch, opii tr., gentianse, 

 zingiber, etc., may be placed in the water. If the rectum 

 is irritable, inject opiates to allay pain or relieve the 

 irritation. 



Diarrhoea in Foals. — Diarrhoea is of very common occur- 

 rence among foals, when they are only two or three weeks 

 old, and may be caused by cold, exposure, fatigue, or by 

 some peculiar condition of the mother's milk. In cases 

 where the mother has received a dose of cathartic medicine 

 and the colt has been allowed uninterrupted access to the 

 milk, the young animal is almost certain to be attacked by 

 purging, more or less violent. 



SymiJtoms. — The symptoms are very similar to those of 

 diarrhoea in the adult animal. The faeces are liquid and 

 passed in excessive quantities, are of a yellowish white 

 colour, and usually mixed with little hard lumps. The colt 

 rapidly falls off in condition, becomes hide-bound, the coat 

 staring and dusty looking, the belly tucked up, and griping, 

 either of a mild or severe character, occurs. The patient 

 may be observed to grate its teeth with pain ; soon great 

 weakness becomes manifest, the colt staggers in his gait, 

 and, unless quickly relieved, dies. 



Treatment. — The treatment of diarrhoea in foals is often 

 difficult, as they do not stand medicine so well as adult 

 animals. The following may be given to the foal if it is 

 a good-sized, strong colt : 01. ricini, 51. — 5ii. ; opii pulv., 

 rhei radix pulv., cretse prsep. aa. grs. xx. The practitioner 

 should, however, be very careful in administering opium 



