INFLAMMATION OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 259 



Co7)imon Symptoms. — Altered expression and attitude, 

 modified appetite, thirst, vomiting, changed action of the 

 bowels, either diarrhoea or constipation ; pain or tender- 

 ness, alteration in the muscular tension of the abdominal 

 walls, febrile symptoms, as elevated temperature, quick- 

 ened and . otherwise modified pulse and respiration; cer- 

 tain brain symptoms, as dullness, or, in bad cases, delirium 

 or stupor {coma). 



The common dangers are extension of the inflamma- 

 tion, gangrene or death of parts of the organ from the 

 severity of the inflammation, exhaustion from pain, diar- 

 rhoea, vomiting, etc., or sudden collapse from haemorrhage 

 or nervous shock, heart failure, etc. 



Common Treatm^ent. — To look to all circumstances 

 that tend to favor a return of the organs to health, which 

 implies avoiding all sources of irritation, whether by what 

 enters the digestive tract or by external conditions — sup- 

 porting the strength, and attacking any symptoms that 

 threaten to lead to any of the dangers above mentioned. 

 In other words, we must pay special attention to feeding, 

 absolute rest, comfort of body and mind, to allaying pain, 

 checking vomiting or diarrhoea if excessive, and keeping 

 up the strength, when failing, by suitable feeding, drugs, 

 and stimulants. 



Prognosis. — So long as pain can be controlled, the 

 heart's action is not very rapid or feeble, and nourish- 

 ment well taken, the prognosis is usually good. 



Peritonitis, enteritis, and dysentery, a rather common 

 disease, are often fatal. 



All these diseases exist in a subacute and chronic as 

 well as in the acute form. 



