CHAPTER LXII. 



SPORADIC BISEAS'ES— continued. 



LOCAL BISEAS'ES— continued. 



(0.) DISEASES OF THE BO^YELS—co7ltinued. 



DIAEEHCEA. 



This term is applied to all cases of simple purging in which 

 the faeces are loose, liquid, and frequently discharged without 

 any coexistent inflammation. Diarrhoea may be a spontaneous 

 etibrt to discharge from the intestines something which is ob- 

 noxious to them or to the system generally. It is also induced 

 by a variety of causes in all animals, such as indigestible food ; 

 sudden changes of diet, particularly from a dry to a moist one ; 

 medicinal substances ; parasites ; derangement of the liver ; or 

 copious draughts of water when the animal is heated. 



Some animals are particularly prone to diarrhoea from trivial 

 causes; narrow-loined, flat-sided, and loosely coupled horses — 

 that is to say, horses in which the space between the ilium and 

 last rib is large — and those which are of a nervous temperament, 

 are apt to purge without apparent cause. They are vulgarly 

 called " washy " horses. Such horses will start upon a journey 

 in the best of apparent health, but before they have proceeded 

 any great distance, will commence to purge more or less freely. 

 They are hard to keep in condition, and require the best of food. 

 If, however, put to slow work they will sometimes do weU 

 enough. 



SYMPTOMS. 



The symptoms of diarrhoea are purging, the faecal matters 

 being semi-fluid, of a dirty-brown colour, without offensive odour, 



