DIARRHCEA AND DYSENTERY a« 



expelled in small quantities. In other cases, perhaps, purging will 

 be present from the beginning ; the animal will be tormented with 

 tenesmus, or frequent desire to void its excrement, and that act at- 

 tended by straining and pain, by soreness about the anus, and pro- 

 trusion of the rectum ; and sometimes by severe colicky spasms. 

 In many cases, however, and in those of a chronic form, few of these 

 distressing symptoms are observed even at the commencement of the 

 disease, but the animal voids her faeces oftener than it is natural that 

 she should, and they are more fluid than in a state of health ; but 

 at the same time, she loses her appetite and spirits and condition, 

 and is evidently wasting away. 



In acute cases, if the disease does not at once destroy the animal, 

 the painful symptoms disappear, and httle remains but a greater or 

 less degree of dullness, disinclination to food, rapid decrease of con- 

 dition, and frequent purging. The faeces are often voided in a pecu- 

 liar manner ; they are ejected with much force, and to a considera- 

 ble distance, and the process of shooting has commenced. The 

 faeces, too, have altered their character ; a greater quantity of mu- 

 cus mingles with them ; sometimes it foi-ms a great proportion of 

 the matter evacuated, or it hangs in strings, or accumulates layer 

 after layer under the tail. The farmer and the practitioner anxiously 

 examine the evacuation. As the thin mass falls on the ground, 

 bubbles are formed upon it. They calculate the time that these 

 vesicles remain unbroken. If they burst and disappear immediately, 

 the observer does not quite despair ; but if they remain several 

 minutes on the surface of the dung, he forms an unfavorable opinion 

 of the case, for he knows that these bladders are composed of the 

 mucus that lined the intestines, and which is not separated from them 

 except under circumstances of great irritation ; or wliich being 

 thrown off, the denuded membrane is exposed to fatal irritation. In 

 this state the beast may remain many weeks, or months ; sometimes 

 better, and sometimes worse ; and even promising to those who 

 know little about the matter that the disease will gradually subside. 

 The farmer, however, has a term for this malady, too expressive of 

 the result, although not strictly applicable to what is actually taking 

 place within the animal. She is rotten, he says, and she dies as if 

 she were so. There are cases of recovery, but they are few and 

 far between. Most cases gradually draw to a close. The beast is 

 sadly wasted — vermin accumulate on him — his teeth become loose — 

 swellings appear under the jaw, and he dies from absolute exhaus- 

 tion ; or the dejections gradually change their character — blood 

 mingles with the mucus — purulent matter succeeds to that — it is 

 almost insupportably fetid — it is discharged involuntarily — gangren- 

 ous ulcers about the anus sometimes tell of the process that is going 

 on within ; and, at length, the eyes grow dim and sunk in their orbits, 

 the body is covered with cold perspiration, and the animal dies. 



