INFLAMMATION OF THE STOMACH. 251 



DISEASES OF THE STOMACH AND INTESTINES. 



INFLAMMATION OF THE STOMACH. 



Inflammation of the stomach, or gastritis, is usually the result 

 of swallowing poisons, or powerful stimulants. Mr. James 

 Clark relates a case of death occurring from inflammation of 

 the stomach in a horse in consequence of being drenched with 

 a pint of vinegar ; and another case where death was caused by 

 giving a drench which contained half an ounce of spirits of 

 hartshorn. A correspondent writing to the Turf Register in 

 1855, recommends the use of nux vomica, to destroy worms ; 

 to which the editor appends the following remarks : — *' We 

 must caution those not acquainted with the deleterious proper- 

 ties of nux vomica against giving that drug in large doses. 

 Three nuts or buttons weigh eighty grains, and we have re- 

 corded evidence that sixty grains of the powder have killed a 

 horse in a short time. Hoffman mentions that two doses, of 

 fifteen grains each, proved fatal to the patient." The cause of 

 these fatal terminations was doubtless some morbid condition 

 of the stomach at the time the medicine was given. " I have 

 known," says White, *'a horse quickly destroyed by being 

 drenched wuth a quart of beer in which one or two ounces of 

 tobacco had been infused, and have seen other horses take 

 much larger doses without any ill effects." The author has 

 known cases where bots were supposed to have given rise to 

 inflammation of the stomach. 



The symptoms from poisoning are extreme distress and rest- 

 lessness, with a perfect loathing of all food ; the animal breaks 

 out in cold sweats, lies down but rises quickly, and becomes 



