xi] ORGANIC, FUNCTIONAL AND CONTAGIOUS DISEASES 143 



chemical irritants, smoke, bad food, damage 

 while trying to give a ball. 



Symptoms. Ptyalism may be present, pain if 

 throat is pressed, dull and sick-looking, some- 

 times fever. Respiration generally increased. 

 As horse swallows water it may be discharged 

 out of nostrils ; will play with water, and not 

 drink much. Constipation or diarrhoea may 

 follow. Carries nose extended. May take in 

 food, chew it a little, and throw it out. Mucous 

 membrane of nose reddened. Discharge from 

 nose, at first watery and clear, later thick and 

 yellow. Dry cough, becomes loose about third 

 day, caused by extension of inflammation to the 

 larynx. Respiration varies with fever. Pulse 

 generally up. Temperature up, except in mild 

 cases. Recovery generally in six to ten days. 

 Septica3mia or pneumonia may follow ; abscess 

 may form in throat. 



Treatment. Pure air, dry and well-ventilated 

 box stall. Body well clothed, legs bandaged. 

 Give nourishing, tempting, and easily digested 

 foods. Isolate. Mild diffusible stimulants and 

 febrifuges, if horse can swallow ; otherwise, 

 give hypodermically. Give electuary. Put pot. 

 chlorate on back of tongue. Give inhalations of 

 steam and oil of eucalyptus. Pilocarpine is very 

 dangerous in this disease. Poultice throat in 

 daytime, hot cotton batton at night. Attend to 

 bowels. Open abscess externally. Tracheotomy 

 may be necessary. Examine lungs. 



543. DISEASES OF (ESOPHAGUS or GULLET. 

 Dilatation and constriction of the gullet are 

 not common. Generally caused by nervous 

 affection, irritants or injuries. The symptoms 

 are choking and uneasy eating. 



Treatment. Sloppy food. If constricted, a 

 probang should be passed each day down the 

 gullet, a larger size being used each day. If 

 dilated, the swellings can be seen externally. 

 External pressure may do good. Treatment, as 

 a rule, is unsatisfactory. 



Rupture or Laceration. These are fairly 

 common. 



Cause. Improvised probang, as whipstock, 

 and abuse of probang. 



Symptoms. Dull and listless. Respiration 

 increased. Probable external swelling. Pain 

 on pressure. Breath becomes fetid later. 



Treatment. Generally of no avail. Put 

 animal out of misery. In some cases give chloro- 

 form, and open from outside and sew up gullet. 

 In paralysis of gullet, give strychnine or nux 

 vomica, and stimulating liniments on neck. In 

 spasms, horse holds neck arched as if trying to 

 vomit. Give chloral hydrate, apply opiate lini- 

 ment. In inflammation of gullet there is pain on 

 feeding, and heat will be present. Apply ano- 

 dyne, liniment, and give mashes and soft food. 



544. CATARRH OF STOMACH. 



Cause. Feeding on coarse or unsuitable food, 

 especially when teething. 



Symptoms. Off feed, diarrhoea, or constipa- 

 tion. If ulcerated and extensive, horse may try 

 to vomit, and may bring up mucus covered with 

 blood. 



Treatment. Remove cause, attend to bowels, 

 give stomachic. Give linseed oil and good, easily- 

 digested food. If ulcerated, do not give purga- 

 tive, but give bismuth subnitrate or lead acetate. 

 If much blood is coming up into mouth, there is 

 haemorrhage- of the stomach. Give tincture of 

 iron, half an ounce, in water as a drench. 



545. GASTRITIS, or INFLAMMATION OF STOMACH. 

 Cause. Irritants or poisons in stomach, as 



copper, arsenic and mercury ; feeding from 

 yew trees, etc. 



Symptoms. Great pain, almost continuous, 

 sweating, pulse slow, loss of appetite, dullness. 

 Eyes stare, great thirst, red mucous membrane, 

 anxious expression. Temperature up, discharge 

 of frothy saliva. 



Treatment. Give repeated stimulants and 

 mucilaginous draughts to stimulate nervous 

 system. Backrake and give warm enema. Give 

 antidotes for poisons. (See Sees. 511-2.) Give 

 anodyne. Drugs given by the mouth will not be 

 digested. Give raw linseed oil to soothe stomach. 

 If from yew poisoning, do not give opium. 



546. RUPTURE OF STOMACH. 



Cause. Too large feed. Tympanites (bloat- 

 ing), straining, acute attack of colic. 



Symptoms. Pulse feeble and very rapid, 

 perhaps 120. Legs cold ; cold sweat. Tempera- 

 ture up to 106. May sit on haunches. Difficult 

 respiration, stiff gait. On giving turpentine, 

 pain gets worse. May vomit. 



Treatment. No hope ; death in six to eight 

 hours. Horse falls suddenly. If only one coat 

 of wall of stomach ruptured, may live several 

 days. 



547. ACUTE INDIGESTION (Engorged Stomach). 



Cause. Overloading stomach with coarse, in- 

 digestible food. Not masticating food. Hard 

 cereals, such as Indian corn (maize). Big feed 

 after a long fast. Change in diet. Getting at oat 

 bin. 



Symptoms. Generally sudden. Uneasy, off 

 feed, lies down and gets up again. Gets worse 

 and worse. Respiration difficult, eructations 

 (belching) ; later throws himself about and un- 

 willing to move ; partial loss of control of limbs. 

 May hide head in manger. Pulse quickens, 

 according to severity. May snort later, may have 

 sleepy staggers. Distress greater in evening. 



Treatment. Give boiled food only in small 

 quantities. Remove cause. Neutralise gases 

 formed. Give ether and chloral hydrate. Areco- 

 lene 1 gr., to clear bowels. If much tympany, 

 use stomach tube, and give liquid ammonia | oz., 

 iron sulphate 1 oz., water 2 pints, as a drench. 

 Hot-water enema every two hours. Nux vomica 

 F.E. 1 dr. 



In Foals. Caused by mare being kept from 



