INDIGESTION. 315 



cases this form of derangement is attended with irritation of 

 the kidneys or the bladder, and is made manifest by the frequent 

 attempts of the patient to urinate. The dung in the majority 

 of cases will be scanty ; at times nearly black, and at other 

 times clay-coloured, and in hardness and form not unlike those 

 balls of wax used by shoemakers. 



If the affection has existed for some time, the patient looses 

 flesh, becomes weak, and is readily fatigued. In other cases 

 the animal is affected with a loud, dry, souuding cough. The 

 dung occasionally contains a few small worms. 



In the more severe forms of Indigestion the hair will peel 

 away in patches from various parts of the body. The general 

 movements of the animal will be listless and indifferent ; the 

 appetite bad ; and the mucous membrane of the mouth dis- 

 agreeable, pasty, and covered with minute yellow- coloured 

 spots. 



Pathognomonic Symptoms. — Finclied up state of tlie 

 aMomen — licMng the plaster icorh — dry untlirifty state of the 

 slcin and hair. 



Causes. — The causes of Indigestion are numerous. Amongst 

 the most common I may enumerate the following: — riding the 

 animal a long distance, so as to thoroughly exhaust the system, 

 then allowing the animal too great an abundance of strong 

 indigestible food ; insufficiency of food ; mow-burnt or mouldy 

 hay ; working the animal violently when the stomach is full ; 

 bad, sour grass ; suddenly changing the diet, especially from a 

 poor to a highly nutritious and stimulating one. 



Treatment. — The mouth and its contents should be 

 examined in every case. The treatment of the more simple 

 forms of Indigestion are in a general way readily corrected 



