1GG THE MODERN HORSE DOCTOR. 



just made a hearty one on foul litter, which he is very apt to do; 

 at other times, however, he is very fastidious, and, like his mas- 

 ter when suffering from the same disease, will search for some- 

 thing nice ; failing to find it, the subject has no objection to a 

 little dirt, sand, plaster, or a small piece of brick, which he mas- 

 ticates with considerable relish. The deranged state of the 

 digestive organs is generally indicated by an intolerable fcetor of 

 breath ; the excrement, too, has the same unpleasant smell, and 

 is very variable in color and consistence, often hard and covered 

 with slime ; at other times soft, when the presence of intestinal 

 parasites can be detected. The urine is scanty, and either col- 

 ored or thickened with foreign material ; in fact, both the func- 

 tions of excretion and secretion are impaired. The animal is 

 generally cross and irritable, and leaves the stable, at working 

 time, very unwillingly ; he requires considerable urging while 

 travelling, and, of course, is incapacitated to perform his usual 

 work. These are the main symptoms of indigestion ; they are 

 not noticeable at first, but gradually arrive at this state, increasing 

 in intensity, diminishing, or running into other affections, accord- 

 ing to circumstances. Acute indigestion is apt to terminate in 

 acute diseases of a different character, and the chronic form in 

 diseases of a chronic type. For treatment of acute indigestion, 

 see Gastritis. 



Causes. — The causes of indigestion are numerous : too little 

 or too much of food, water, or work ; bad ventilation ; exposure ; 

 poisons ; damaged or highly nutritious food ; working the ani- 

 mal on a full stomach, — are all operative in producing indiges- 

 tion in its acute or chronic forms. 



Treatment. — In treating cases of disordered digestive organs, 

 we first remove, if possible, the cause. In view of ascertaining 

 that, w T e inquire into the history of the patient, and ascertain in 

 what way the laws of his existence have been violated, and if 

 successful, we apply the "remedy, or remove the cause. It is 

 impossible to lay down rules as to the quantity of food required 

 by a horse, because his health and life are subject to various 

 modifications, under a variety of circumstances ; therefore it is 

 folly to say how much this or that animal shall have, for the 

 quantity suitable for one may be insufficient for the other, and 



