682 SrOKADIC DISEASES. 



IMPACTION OF THE THIRD STOMACH. 



Variously termed fardel-bound, vertigo, maw-bound. Tliis is 

 a very popular disease, some writers ascribing every case of 

 constipation to impaction of the omasum, basing tlieir con- 

 clusions upon the fact that the contents of this viscus are in 

 a dry and hard condition when examined after death. But 

 seeing that this is its natural state, and that, when animals 

 have died from what appeared to be obstinate constipation, its 

 contents have been found moister than natural, I have arrived 

 at the conclusion that what is supposed to be impaction of 

 the third stomach is in reality an inflammation of the mucous 

 membrane of the true stomach — abomasitis — or true gastric 

 inflammation. I do not mean, however, to state that the third 

 compartment does not participate in the disorders of the others ; 

 but, on the contrary, that disease commencing in the rumen, 

 reticulum, or abomasum, soon involves the third compartment. 

 I shall not, therefore, separate the description of this disease 

 from abomasitis. 



In the gastritis of ruminants a highly disturbed condition of the 

 nervous system is a distinguishing symptom, evidenced either 

 by a high state of delirium, coma, or convulsive fits, indicative of 

 disturbance of the brain proper, or by paralysis of the posterior 

 extremities, when the area of the disturbance is limited to the 

 posterior parts of the spinal cord. Paralysis, convulsions, and 

 coma are also frequently seen in dogs when suffering from 

 gastric affections, and the same may be said, but in a less 

 degree, of the horse. 



In addition to the above symptoms, the gastritis of ruminants 

 is characterised by more or less diarrhoea, soon succeeded by 

 an apparent obstinate constipation, which, however, is not due 

 to an obstruction by impacted food, but to cessation of the 

 peristaltic action of the intestines, the contents of the stomachs 

 being found generally more or less fluid after death. In many 

 instances the animal strains violently, and passes both blood 

 and mucus, showing that the inflammation has extended into 

 the intestinal canal, and it is said that a hard swelling may be 

 detected on the right side, arising from distension of the third 

 stomach. In many cases, however, general swelling of the 

 abdomen, tympanitis, supervenes early in the disease, and 

 greatly adds to tlie animal's suffering. 



