508 THE DISEASES AND DISORDERS OF THE OX. 



called a depraved character, the animal licking walls, stones, 

 wood-work, and even taking up dirty straw, stones, dung, and 

 all kinds of filth into the mouth. The result of this depressed 

 state is that the coat *' stares," the hair standing erect, and the 

 ekin feeling harsh and dry ; the faeces are small, hard, dry, and 

 glazed with mucus ; the flanks may be hollow, or swollen up 

 from time to time, as a consequence of more or less strongly 

 marked tympany ; the temperature is generally lower than the 

 normal standard ; chewing of the cud is both irregular and 

 imperfect ; there is flatulence and torpidity of the bowels ; loss of 

 flesh may be marked and rapid, and the patient looks wretched 

 and downcast, and presents what has been described asatucked- 

 up appearance. Other maladies may attack the debilitated 

 animal. For instance, rheumatism may set in, or the bones may 

 become weak and friable, or tuberculosis may make its appear- 

 ance, or diarrhoea may come on, or tympanites, or impaction of 

 the rumen, or colic, or other complications may ensue. 



The malady should receive immediate attention. The causes 

 should be removed. For instance, if the disease be due to the 

 presence of a foreign body in the rumen or reticulum, and even 

 according to some authorities in most cases of chronic indi- 

 gestion in the ox, it is advisable that the veterinary surgeon 

 should perform the operation of rumenotomy described in our 

 last article. This is often to be recommended in the case of 

 chronic indigestion of older oxen, since it seems that the mere 

 removal of the long-retained food is often sufficient to restore 

 the healthy condition. 



Again, in young calves indigestion associated with convulsions 

 is sometimes occasioned by the presence of '* hair-balls." After 

 a time, these may become gradually broken up by the movements 

 of the stomach, and the symptoms will then slowly disappear. 

 If the calf be in great distress from this cause, the pressing 

 symptoms may often be relieved by stimulants, such as the 

 carbonate of ammonium ; but if the indigestion remains for a 

 long period, rumenotomy should be performed. 



There should be a complete change of diet, and of general 

 surrounding conditions. Animals, if on low, marshy, lands, 

 should be taken to sheltered straw-yards. If bad or deficiently 

 nutritious food is being used, this should be replaced by small 

 and repeated and gradually increased supplies of good and highly 



