146 THE MODERN HORSE DOCTOR. 



at intervals, grind their teeth ; all experience considerable heat 

 under the foretop, across the whole parietal region. The horses 

 predisposed to sudden attacks of gastro-enteritis are the young, 

 vigorous, sanguineous, and irritable ; in particular those over well 

 fed in proportion to their work." — Hippopathology, p. 225. 



In this section of the United States, where so little attention 

 has been paid to hygienic rules as they apply to horseflesh, we 

 find a large proportion of equine diseases originating in the 

 stomach ; ordinarily, however, they manifest themselves more on 

 the nervous and cerebral functions than on the gastric, princi- 

 pally through their sympathetic relations : there are cases, how- 

 ever, from the presence of a large amount of food in the stomach, 

 which that organ is unable to digest, where it may, by irritating 

 the inner walls of the stomach, produce acute disease of that organ. 

 So also as regards poisonous agents ; they act chemically, or as 

 mechanical irritants, developing primary disease in the gastric 

 cavity, which gradually extends to other organs. 



Treatment of G -astro-Enteritis. — With a view of lessening the 

 irritation of the digestive surfaces, we resort to mucilaginous 

 drinks. Various articles are in use, such as gum arabic, slippery 

 elm, flaxseed, flour porridge, &c. The treatment must, how- 

 ever, have reference to the exciting causes. If a horse shows 

 symptoms of this malady, and is supposed to have an engorged 

 stomach from food, a stimulating drench must be given, to arouse 

 the digestive function, and thus get rid of the burden. It is gen- 

 erally customary among our race to take stimulants after a hearty 

 meal, to assist digestion ; and we generally find they have the 

 desired effect. So, also, if we wish to empty a full stomach, 

 and arouse the digestive function of a horse, we must do the same 

 thing, or we cannot remove the exciting cause. Purges are of 

 no sort of use for the purpose of liberating the contents of an 

 overloaded stomach ; and if inflammation has fairly set in, they 

 are injurious. On the other hand, the stimulants here recom- 

 mended will do no harm while the stomach is gorged or other- 

 wise, provided they be mixed with lubricants, or not, as the case 

 requires. Physicians do not hesitate a moment about applying 

 stimulants, such as tincture of myrrh, &c, to wounds and abraded 

 surfaces. The popular empyrical compound so much in use at 



