82 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 



tious food and debilitating influences, which act 

 slowly; such as scrofula and other blood diseases. 

 Symptoms: It may be acute or chronic. In the 

 acute cases there is fever, with slight abdominal 

 pains. The animal stands with arched back, 

 straining and passing small quantities of thin 

 faeces, tinged with blood or mucous. In some 

 cases strings or shreds of the mucous lining of the 

 bowels may be passed, several inches in length. 

 I remember being called to a case of this kind in 

 a horse in which the owner thought the horse was 

 passing partly decayed worms, which he consid- 

 ered were the cause of the horse's ailment, but 

 which I found to be strings of the mucous mem- 

 brane. As the disease advances the patient be- 

 comes emaciated, the pulse is fast and weak, the 

 temperature rises, the appetite may in some cases 

 remain fair, but usually it js impaired. The ani- 

 mal becomes hide-bound, and often the legs will 

 swell. There is a very foul smell, and if ulcera- 

 tion has set in there will be considerable blood 

 of a dark or nearly black color. The eyes become 

 sunken, the rectum is protruded and red and sore, 

 and if the animal is not soon relieved will die from 

 exhaustion, although an animal may live in this 

 condition for several weeks. Treatment is con- 

 sidered very unsatisfactory, although if attended 

 to at once, I have had good results. First give at 

 one dose a pint and one-half of raw linseed oil and 

 tincture of opium two ounces; follow this up with 

 turpentine one ounce, tincture of chloride of iron 

 one ounce, boiled flaxseed one quart; mix and give 



