940 DISEASES AND THEIE TEEATMENT. 



Place a lump of rock salt in his manger, and give a little car- 

 bonate of soda or magnesia twice a day in the feed. When re- 

 covery begins, give him tonics for some time, with gentle exercise. 

 If he persists in devouring the litter, muzzle him up for a few 

 days. This, if neglected, is apt to run on to diabetes or jaupis. 



ACUTE INDIGESTION. 



Acute indigestion is very common in this country, especially 

 in the spring, from the continuous hard work, and necessarily 

 liberal feeding. It is usually induced by overfeeding, that is, 

 eating too much at a time, more especially when the animal has 

 been fatigued and hungry. It sometimes occurs from his break- 

 ing loose in the night, and gorging himself at the corn-bin. An- 

 other frequent cause is overloading the stomach with clover or 

 green feed when wet; this often induces violent and fatal 

 indigestion. 



Symptoms. Digestion may be arrested, either by " the food 

 undergoing no change, forming a dangerous load, or running rap- 

 idly to frightful fermentation." In the former case the animal is 

 dull and stupid, the pulse is slow, and the breathing oppressed ; 

 he is stiff, and inflammation of the feet, or acute founder, is apt 

 to set in. If he have access to water, it speedily sets up fermen- 

 tation, gas being rapidly evolved ; the stomach is greatly dis- 

 tended, the belly swollen, colicky pains set in, he rolls about in 

 great agony, looking wistfully to his flank, kicking his belly with 

 his feet ; he tosses about in despair, the bowels being unmoved. 

 He gets up and down frequently, the sweat rolls off him in 

 streams, and in many cases death puts an end to his suffering in 

 from four to six or eight hours, caused by rupture of the stomach 

 or bowels, or violent inflammation of the intestines. 



Treatment. It is more easily prevented than cured, by sim- 

 ply attending to the following rules: Never let a horse get too 

 hungry; never give him too much at a time; never put him 

 to work on a full stomach ; and never let him drink too freely 

 after eating, and we will seldom see this fatal disease. 



Treatment must be prompt to be effectual. The following 

 drench will be found useful: 



8 drachms Barbadoes aloes, 

 1 fluid ounce liquor ammonia, 

 Or, 2 fluid ounces spirits of turpentine. 



Dissolve the aloes with a little carbonate of soda, in nearly a quart of 

 warm water, and add the other. 



