CONCRETIONS, OR STONES IN THE RUMEN. 29S 



cular glands, whence is secreted a liquid called the gastric juice, and 

 which is the agent in producing this chyme. The change, in all 

 probability, merely consists in the food being more perfectly dissolved, 

 and converted in'io a semi-fluid homogeneous mass. This form it 

 must of necessity assume before its nutritive matter can be sepa- 

 rated. The solution being complete, or as much so as it can be 

 rendered, the food passes through the pyloric, or lower orifice of the 

 stomach, into the duodenum, or first intestine, (g, p. 291,) where its 

 separation into the nutritive and innutritive portions is effected, and 

 the former begins to be taken up, and carried into the system. 



We are now prepared to enter into the consideration of the diseases 

 of this complicated apparatus, diseases of the rumen or paunch. 



SWALLOWING IXDIGESTIBLE SUBSTANCES. 



Cattle have been known to swallow cloths, scissors, shoes, sticks, 

 leather, indeed all sorts of things that could p;iss the throat. 



The presence of bodies like these in the rumen cannot fail of being 

 injurious to the animal. They must produce local irritation, interfer- 

 ing with the proper function of this stomach ; suspending the pro- 

 cess of rumination, or rendering it less effectually performed ; and 

 exciting inflammation, probably of the stomach generally, as this 

 foreign body is traversing its different compartments, or of some par- 

 ticular portion in which it may be accidentally arrested, and leading 

 on to abscess and perforation of the stomach at that spot. The 

 symptoms which would indicate this peculiar cause of disease are 

 not yet sufiicientjy known ; but there must be considerable disturb- 

 ance when a body sufficiently hard and pointed thus to force its way 

 commences its journey. Inflammation, as conducting to suppuration 

 and destruction of the living substance, must precede its course and 

 make way for it. The nerves and blood-vessels which lie in its way 

 are, with mysterious skill, unerringly avoided, and as httle injury as 

 possible is done to the neighboring tissues ; but local inflammation 

 and pain attend the whole process, which, in many cases, are accom- 

 panied by general and severe disease. 



It is seldom that medical skill could be of avail here, until the 

 substance approaches to the skin, even if the case were understood. 



CONCRETIONS, OR STONES IN THE RUMEN. 



A frequent and serious complaint is the formation of various con- 

 cretions in the rumen. They are generally round, but occasionally 

 of various forms, and var^'ing likewise in weight from a few ounces 

 to six or seven pounds. The composition of these balls is also very 

 difterent. Those which are decidedly peculiar to cattle are composed 

 entirely of hair, matted together by the mucous secretion from the 

 follicular glands of the stomach. Sometinigs they have no distinct 



