DIARRHOEA. — TREATMENT. 287 



place. The cause of the complaint should be removed, 

 and the trouble will generally soon cease. The treat- 

 ment is much the same as for fever; but where the 

 surface of the body is cold, as is generally the case, 

 give sweet spirits of nitre two ounces, liquor acetate 

 of ammonia four ounces, in a pint of water, two or 

 three times a day. 



Diarrhoea is brought on by too sudden change of 

 food, especially from dry to green and succulent food ; 

 sometimes by poisonous plants or bad water. If slight, 

 the farmer may not be anxious to check it. It may show 

 simply an effort of nature to throw off some injurious 

 substances from the body, and so it may exist when the 

 animal is quite healthy. But, if it continues too long, 

 and is likely to debilitate the system, a mild purgative 

 may be given to assist rather than check the operation 

 of nature. Half a pound of Epsom salts, with a little 

 ginger and gentian, will do for a medium-sized animal 

 in this case ; but a purgative may be followed in a day 

 or two by an astringent medicine. Take prepared chalk 

 two ounces, powdered oak-bark one ounce, powdered 

 catechu two drachms, powdered opium one drachm, and 

 four drachms powdered ginger. Mix these together, 

 and give in a quart of warm gruel. Sometimes a few 

 ounces of pulverized charcoal will arrest the diarrhoea. 

 Common diarrhoea may be distinguished from dysentery 

 by a too abundant discharge of dung in too fluid a form, 

 or in a full, almost liquid stream, sometimes very offen- 

 sive to the smell, and now and then bloody. In dysen- 

 tery, the dung is often mixed with mucus and blood, and 

 is not unfrequently attended by a hard straining. The 

 quantity of dung is less than in diarrhoea, but more 

 offensive. 



Diarrhoea may occur at any season of the year, and 

 sometimes leads to dysentery, which more frequently 

 appears in the spring and fall. 



