866 DISEASES OF THE INTESTIxNES. 



one of the symptoms by which we are led to suspect the 

 presence of disease in those bodies. 



The case of H 17, in the " Record^^ Book, is an excellent 

 one to show how obstinate diarrhoea may be successfully 

 treated. 



Epidemic, but not Contagious. — Many horses in the 

 same stable, fed and worked and otherwise treated alike, 

 may have diarrhoea at the same time, without there existing 

 any reason to believe the disease to be contagious : the cause 

 or causes producing it in one being such as to give rise to it 

 in all of them ; and the cure consisting in all in removing 

 them from that situation, or changing their food or water, 

 or whatever appears to have originated the disease among 

 them. These remarks equally apply to dysentery. 



The Treatment oe Diarrhcea must be framed and con- 

 ducted in accordance wdth the causes to which it owes its 

 origin, and perhaps continuance, and also with reference to 

 the state of the intestinal membrane, together with the 

 condition of its own secretions, as w^ell as of those which it 

 receives from other parts. Many — I might say, most — of 

 the cases of diarrhoea which come under the veterinarian's 

 notice, require no medical treatment at all. The good the 

 practitioner does in such cases is to stay the hand of igno- 

 rance and presumption from doing harm. It is incalculable 

 what mischief hns been done on such occasions b}^ the 

 early exhibition of chalk and opium, and other astrin- 

 gents which, by checking this sanative effort of Nature, 

 has converted a simple flux into an enteritis, and in that 

 manner caused the destruction of the patient. Whenever 

 we find the purging to be the effect of food disturbing 

 the natural action of the bowels, or of water possessing some 

 obnoxious property, we ought to view the flux as Nature's 

 effort to get rid of the offending matters, and so, as her own 

 mode of bringing about a cessation of the diarrhoea; and 

 all that art can or ought to attempt to do, is, to assist 

 Nature in this her process of cure. Instead, therefore, of 

 checking, our duty is to encourage the diarrhoea, by giving 

 the horse gruel and linseed tea, and sago, and even arrow- 



