184 INDIGESTION. 



Symptoms. Soon after feeding, the little animal appears dull and 

 somnolent, and shows moderate abdominal pain, suggesting trifling 

 colic. 



This stage is soon followed by nausea ; the breathing and the heart's 

 action become rapid, vomiting efforts are made, and finally milk, in 

 the form of firm or partially softened curds, depending on the time which 

 has elapsed since the last feed was taken, are vomited. The quantity 

 ejected varies. Pressure over the right side of the abdomen produces 

 pain, and tympanites of the abomasum may sometimes be detected on 

 percussion. 



The sensitiveness and gaseous inflation are confined to the middle 

 and lower zone of the hypochondrium. Soon after vomiting the animal 

 begins to improve. The patient seems brighter, relief is very marked, 

 and in some cases proves permanent; but more frequently a certain 

 degree of depression persists, the mouth emits a sourish odour, and for 

 a time the appetite remains poor. This temporary irritation of the 

 abomasum has a tendency to become permanent ; or even to extend to 

 the intestine, in which the conditions appear more favourable to the 

 development of micro-organisms than do those in the stomach. In- 

 digestion then becomes complicated with diarrhoeic enteritis. 



The diagnosis presents no difficulty. 



The prognosis is not serious, provided that the young animals are 

 carefully attended to ; but such complications as diarrhoeic enteritis may 

 become very grave if neglected. 



The treatment. To prevent recurrences : 



(1) The periods of feeding should be regulated ; 



(2) The cows should not be worked, or should be worked as little as 

 possible ; 



(3) Mixed milk, or milk which has already undergone lactic or other 

 fermentation, should be avoided. 



If the calves must be reared by hand, the mixed milk should at least 

 be boiled or relatively pasteurised by heating to 70° or 80° C, and the 

 buckets used for feeding should be kept scrupulously clean. These 

 precautions become absolutely necessary w^hen diarrhoea exists amongst 

 the calves. Curative treatment consists in placing the animals on low 

 diet for two or three days after the attack of indigestion, or in giving 

 them boiled milk diluted with from one-half to two-thirds of boiled 

 water. 



The addition of a mild saline purgative like sulphate of soda, in doses 

 of one-half to three-quarters of an ounce, usually ensures a cure. 

 Infusions of lime-tree flowers, pepj)ermint, camomile, etc., may ad- 

 vantageously be used to replace boiled water in diluting the first 

 foods. 



