1 86 Diseases of the Digestive System, 



be fed on fluid rations, as Fibrine biscuits bruised and 

 soaked in hot water or milk, and given when cool. 



Paralysis of the Tongue is not common, but it 

 occurs now and again in bulldogs and spaniels, hanging 

 loosely and useless from one side of the mouth in a dry 

 and often discoloured condition. In most cases the 

 ascertained cause is nervous disorder. It is congenital 

 in some animals, and therefore incurable. 



Treatment comprises the use of nerve tonics, as 

 strychnine. Purchasers of valuable dogs should be on 

 the alert for this deformity, as unscrupulous dealers 

 practise the surgical art of amputating the portion visible 

 on the outer side of the teeth. 



Ptyalism, or Excessive flow of Saliva, arises in the dog 

 from the incautious use of mercurial ointment as a 

 remedy for the mange, also when the mineral has been 

 too frequently or too largely administered internally, 

 when such Symptoms as the following are present : Dis- 

 coloration or perhaps looseness of the teeth, sore and 

 swollen gums, and in long-standing cases disease of the 

 bones. Saliva drivels from the mouth, and when the 

 jaws are separated the flow is largely increased. The 

 animal is dull, highly sensitive to cold, and the body 

 generally is cold, especially the ears and legs. A close 

 examination is essential in order to decide accurately, as 

 ptyalism arises from other causes, as defective teeth and 

 disease of the mouth, <S:c. {See Mercurial Poisoning.) 



The Lips are liable to invasion by warty growths, 

 which sometimes affect the outer cheek, as well as 

 internally, together with the tongue and palate. Increase 

 in size, and their possible recurrence, may prove highly 

 inconvenient and troublesome, besides being a serious 

 disfigurement. The most effective treatment is that of 

 constant excision by suitable sharp scissors or the knife, 

 the parts being afterwards touched with lunar caustic. 



Inflammation of the Pharynx or Pharyngitis 

 always accompanies Laryngitis (which see), one of the 

 common results being permanent thickening or ulcera- 

 tion of the Hning membrane, the disease having assumed 

 a chronic character. Free dressings v/ith nitrate of 



