DISEASES OF THE STOMACH AND BOAVELS. 145 



tlie first clay, the pulse 60. On the fourth day she appeared 

 worse, the pulse 94 ; but the heavy aj)pearance of the head had 

 agani disappeared. The mare died during the night ; and on 

 examining her the stomach was found excessively inflamed, and 

 a thick deposit of coagulated blood between its coats, affecting 

 more particularly the cuticular portion. The bowels were in- 

 flamed in a minor deirree, as well as the luno;s and liver. The 

 mare had been taken from grass and fed with dry and stimulating 

 food, without any physic or other preparation. 



The treatment in such cases, where we have reason to believe 

 that the stomach is the seat of active inflammation, should con- 

 sist in extensive bloodletting ; relaxing the bowels by medicine 

 least likely to injure the coats of the stomach, such as linseed oil, 

 assisted by the frequent administration of injections, and blister- 

 ing the side opposite the stomach. An infusion of linseed should 

 be given voluntarily, if the horse will take it ; if not, by occa- 

 sionally drenching hira. 



The most frequent cause of inflammation of the stomach is 

 the administration of poison, either wilfully or by mistake ; but 

 as the effects of poison are different, not always acting by inflam- 

 ing the stomach, we shall best do justice to the subject by con- 

 sidering it under the head of Poisons, in that part of the work 

 devoted to the Materia Medica. 



Cancer of the stomach is a disease of extremely rare occurrence 

 in the horse. I have, however, met with one or two cases, the 

 chief symptom of which, in one instance, was an emaciated 

 appearance which resisted all medical treatment, as well as the 

 richest food. The animal was, in consequence, destroyed ; and 

 the coats of the stomach were found considerably thickened, 

 and in a schirrous and cancerous state. — Ed.] 



Loss of Appetite. 



Want of appetite is more frequently complained of in horses 

 than an excessive or craving appetite ; this, indeed, so far from 

 being complained of, is generally considered a desirable qualifi- 

 cation in the animal ; but, as I have before observed, more dis- 

 eases arise from this cause than from want of appetite. A 

 distinction, however, must be made, between an excessive or 

 voracious appetite, and a hearty and healthy appetite. The lat- 

 ter is denoted by the horse being ready for, or desirous of food, 

 as soon as he comes in from a journey, and eating his allowance 

 with an evident relish. The former, by an almost constant 

 craving for food and water, without any regard to the quality of 

 either. In weakness of appetite, a horse is rather indifferent 

 about food when he comes in from a journey, and will only eat 

 such as is of good quality. He feeds slowly, and languidly, 



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