THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS 201 



treatment I have found nothing to equal 3 drachms of chloride of 

 sodium (common salt), 1 drachm exsiccated iron, 1 drachm nux 

 vomica, 3 drachms powdered quassia, mixed for one dose for an adult 

 animal and given as a drench in gruel every other day, to which add 

 1 wineglassful of cod-liver oil and 30 drops of oil of cloves or 

 creosote. A good, mixed, nutritious diet of corn, cake, bran, etc., 

 should be fed to the patients. Young animals under twelve months 

 old when turned out on to strong, wet, undrained lands in summer 

 and autumn also suffer greatly from intermittent scour. Derange- 

 ment and disease of the liver of various kinds are often also the 

 means of producing scour. So, seeing that there is such a multi- 

 tude of causes, it is of the greatest importance to the owner, as well 

 as to the veterinary surgeon, to find the cause, and treat accordingly. 



310. Upon no consideration should diarrhoea be stopped 

 suddenly, as it may be due to some hidden ailment which Nature 

 is trying to relieve in her own way. Treatment. — In the early stages 

 8 to 12 ounce doses of linseed oil, along with from i to 2 ounces 

 each of chlorodyne and aromatic spirits of ammonia, may be 

 used with great advantage, following it up with vegetable and 

 alkaline tonics, while at times the preparations of iron are useful 

 (par. 1073, No. IV.). Good nutritious food of an easily digestible 

 character should also be given, such as crushed oats, bran, and 

 linseed cake, milk, and linseed jelly, and upon no consideration 

 should a small quantity of salt be omitted from the food at each end 

 of the day. Where the affection is attributable to worms or flukes, 

 small and repeated doses of oil and turpentine may be administered 

 with great advantage (par. 1074, No. I.), and the lands should be 

 dressed with salt. 



311. Liver Fluke is a frequent producer of diarrhoea, and often 

 with a fatal result, both in young cattle and sheep. As it is also the 

 cause of a great amount of troublesome litigation amongst neighbours, 

 a sketch of its character may not be out of place here. The liver 

 fluke, or Distomum hepaticnm, is of the Order Trematoda, or flat 

 suctorial worms. It has a very interesting history, passing through 

 seven stages, between fluke and fluke, six of which are accom- 



