Diseases of the Organs of Digestion. 209 



Dysentery, or Bloody Flux. A rare disease in the 

 horse. It is superpurgation associated with inflammation 

 of the large intestines, accompanied with ulceration and 

 haemorrhage. These serious states have their usual origin 

 in poisons or putrefactive ferments which have been pre- 

 sent in drinking-water. Severe pain and straining are 

 accompanied with high fever and temperature ; stiffness 

 in movement, especially in turning; tight skin, and in 

 grass-fed animals it is full of vermin ; colicky pains, severe 

 straining ; blood and mucus is passed, and the rectum is 

 everted, the membrane being highly inflamed ; the belly 

 is sore and often distended with gas; the mouth and 

 tongue clammy, furred and offensive, the epithelium 

 peeling off exposing ulcers beneath. The sufferer soon 

 dies if relief is not afforded within a few days. 



Treatment. — Oleaginous purge composed of linseed oil, 

 \ pint, and tincture of opium, 1 oz. ; chloroform, \ drm. 

 The blood discharges may be arrested by oil of turpen- 

 tine, 2 oz. in milk or starch gruel, 1 pint ; and follow 

 with astringents No. 7 or 8. Distension by gas may be 

 arrested by the hyposulphite of soda in water. Promote 

 warmth and comfort by means of clothing, bandages, and 

 gentle dressing. Subcutaneous Injections, No. 3. 



Worms in the Intestines are denoted by loss of 

 condition proportionate to the duration of the disorder, 

 harsh, dirty skin, capricious or voracious appetite, licking 

 the wall or eating dirt. Sometimes the animal rubs his 

 tail violently against the nearest object, and an accumu- 

 lation of the eggs and scales of the parasites is seen 

 around the anus. The sure sign is the presence of worms 

 in the fasces. Diarrhoea is not uncommon. 



Treatment. — Aperient No. 3 with 1 or 2 drops of croton 

 oil. Turpentine, 2 oz. in a pint of linseed mucilage, is 

 also valuable, followed by a moderate purge. Follow 

 with iron tonics, 1 or 2. 



Hernia or Rupture is of several kinds, the descrip- 

 tion of which is too lengthy to be introduced here. It 

 consists of a rupture of the muscular walls of the abdomen 

 or enlargement of some natural opening, the result of 

 accident, by which the small intestines find their way 



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