DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 159 



tagious principle. In dogs much dulness, drowsiness, restless- 

 ness, with tucked up, tense, very tender abdomen, violent 

 constipation, and very painful and difficult passage of dung are 

 added to, the general symptoms. Vomiting is common in dogs 

 and pigs. Chickens lose appetite and vivacity, droop the head, 

 raise the feathers, move sluggishly, scour, strain violently, and 

 show much tenderness of the abdomen when handled. 



Treatment. — At the outset give a laxative (horse, aloes ; ox 

 or sheep, Glauber salts; or for all animals, olive-oil); with 

 anodynes (belladonna, hyoscyamus, Indian hemp), in a muci- 

 lage of slippery elm or gum Arabic, and repeat these mucilages 

 and anodynes as may be needful to quiet the suffering. Mild 

 cases may be successfully treated by small daily doses of sul- 

 phate of soda with abundance of mucilage, and tonic doses 

 of gentian and nux vomica. Give injections of hot water, with 

 anodynes, and apply fomentations, or in small animals poultices, 

 followed by mustard or other counter-irritants to the belly as in 

 hemorrhagic enteritis. When profuse diarrhoea sets in give 

 freely of mucilaginous and starchy drinks, with quinia, gentian, 

 nux vomica, or other bitter and opium. The diet must be 

 restricted to well-boiled mucilaginous gruels, and in the case of 

 herbivora, sloppy warm bran mashes. 



The treatment of diseased chickens is not always satisfactory, 

 but the whole flock should have mush, vegetables, and boiled 

 potatoes, with clear pure drinking water, to which may be added 

 cream of tartar or Glauber salts, i oz. to every quart. 



CROUPOUS ENTERITIS. 



This occurs in cattle, horses, sheep, and dogs, and may be 

 considered as a modification of the other forms of enteritis and 

 produced by similar causes. The symptoms may approach 

 those of either of the two forms of the disease already described, 

 the suffering being extreme and lasting, or violent but short, 

 and followed by dulness, depression, fever, and tenderness of 



