158 l>iARRH(EA, OR PROFUSE PURGING. 



but usually have some glair, and are often frothy also. When 

 diarrhoea continues for many days, the rectum becomes inflamed 

 and slightly ulcerated within the fundament, by which a constant 

 irritation and tenesmus are kept up ; and the poor animal, feeling 

 as though he wanted to evacuate, is continually trying to bring 

 something away. On observing this, persons are frequently led 

 into error ; for, under a supposition that there exists actual cos- 

 tiveness at the time, they give purging medicines, which greatly 

 aggravate the complaint, and frequently destroy the dog. When 

 the diarrhoea is considerable, there is always violent thirst, and 

 cold water is sought after with great eagerness ; but which in- 

 creases the evil, and, therefore, should be removed, and broth or 

 rice-water should be substituted in its room. When diarrhoea has 

 continued many days, particularly in the malignant distemper, it 

 often takes on something of a dysenteric appearance, from the 

 mucous surface of the intestines becoming inflamed, and throwing 

 off their mucous secretion in great quantities with every motion. 



The cure of diarrhcea must depend on the light in which we 

 are led to consider it ; whether as a disease of itself, or as merely 

 the symptom of some other existing disease. For instance, a 

 bilious purging, which comes on suddenly with violent vomiting, 

 is best removed by evacuants to carry off the vitiated bile from the 

 bowels. In the looseness occasioned by worms also, purgatives or 

 other vermifuges should be made use of to remove the cause, and 

 not astringents, which would merely apply to the effect. But 

 when diarrhoea appears an idiopathic affection, that is, as a diseased 

 action of the bowels themselves, and also when it is produced by 

 distemper, it should in either case be immediately checked, or it 

 may produce such weakness and emaciation as will destroy the dog. 

 In the distemper it is particularly necessary to check the looseness 

 very early ; for when it is continued beyond the third or fourth 

 day, its invariable effect is to destroy the appetite, after which, of 

 course, the weakness increases in a double degree. 



The remedies employed, when diarrhoea is a primary complaint, 

 are generally either of an absorbent or an astringent nature : but 



