DISEASES OP THE OX AND SHEEP. 527 



Enteritis or Inflammation of the Lining Membrane of 

 THE Intestines. 

 This disease is, fortunately, very unfrequent indeed among 

 oxen, and when it does occur, it is most generally working oxen 

 or cattle which have been subjected to unusual conditions that 

 are afflicted. Enteritis may manifest itself in adults of plethoric 

 habit, coming on after exposure to inclement weather, or as a 

 consequence of drinking cold water when perspiring. The 

 disorder may also arise from the administration of a large 

 amount of a drastic purgative, especially such a one as sulphate 

 of magnesium or sulphate of sodium, each of which mainly 

 acts upon the lower bowel, or from the ingestion of any irritant 

 substances. It may be due to volvulus, intussusception, or 

 engorgement. The comparatively harmless disturbance of the 

 bowels called colic may, if it is not checked, lead on to the 

 serious disease, enteritis. 



Symptoms. — In cases of inflammation of the intestines, 

 pressure on the abdomen or on the loins produces pain. Fre- 

 quently there may be a discharge of a small amount of dry 

 feces, the constipation being due to the fact that the muscular 

 coat of the intestines is not able to contract and so move on 

 the contents towards the seat of expulsion. Towards the end, 

 there may, perhaps, be a little stream of very oflPensive liquid 

 excrement which has forced its way through the hard mass of 

 feces by which the rectum is distended. Acute febrile symptoms 

 supervene; the patient stands obstinately in one place with its 

 muzzle protruded; the hind limbs become weak, respiration is 

 quickened, tremors occasionally come on, the animal is exces- 

 sively thirsty but has no appetite, moans, grinds the teeth, looks 

 round at the right flank, w*hich seems to the poor creature 

 to be the seat of pain or injury ; the rectum is hot; and, finally, 

 enteritis may be distinguished from colic, inasmuch as the pain 

 is continuous instead of being intermittent, as in the case of that 

 generally more harmless disease. While saying this, we should 

 also caution the reader not to think colic an unimportant dis- 

 order. So far from this being the case, it might be held that, if 

 all cases of colic were properly taken in hand, there would be 

 far less enteritis, this latter disease often succeeding the former, 

 if unnoticed or neglected. 



