DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 37 



food to prevent constipation in the new-born calf, as it contains a 

 large amount of fatty matter which renders it laxative in its effects. 

 ' It is usually better to treat habitual constipation by a change of 

 diet than by medicine. Flaxseed is a good feed laxative. If the 

 constipation has lasted long, repeated small doses of purgatives are 

 better than a single large dose. 



INTESTINAL WORMS. 



[See chapter on " The animal parasites of cattle," p. 510.] 

 RUPTURES (VENTRAL HERNIA). 



Ventral hernia, or rupture, is an escape of some one of the abdom- 

 inal organs through a rupture in the abdominal muscles, the skin 

 remaining intact. The rumen, the small mtestine, or part of the 

 large intestine, and the fourth stomach are the parts which usually 

 form a ventral hernia in bovine animals. 



Causes. — Hernia is frequently produced by blows of the horns, 

 kicks, and falls. In old cows hernia may sometimes occur without 

 any direct injury. 



Hernia of the rumen. — Hernia of the rumen is generally situated 

 on the left side of the abdomen, on account of the situation of the 

 rumen. In exceptional cases it may take place on the right side, 

 and in such cases it also generally happens that some folds of the 

 intestine pass into the hernial sac. Hernias have been classified into 

 simple or complicated, recent or old, traumatic (from mechanical 

 injury) or spontaneous. 



In recent traumatic hernia there is swelling on the left side of the 

 lower part of the abdomen. The swelling is greatest in the cases of 

 hernia which are situated on the lower part of the abdomen. Unless 

 an examination is made iimnediately after the injury has been in- 

 flicted it is difficult, and sometimes impossible, to ascertain the exact 

 extent of the rupture, owing tg the swelling which subsequently takes 

 place. Frequently there is no loss of appetite, fever, or other general 

 symptoms attending the injurj^ From the twelfth to the fifteenth 

 day the swelling has generally subsided to such an extent that it is 

 possible by an examination to determine the extent of the rupture. 



In old cows what is termed spontaneous hernia may sometimes take 

 place without any direct injury. The occurrence of this form of 

 hernia is explained by the increase in the size of the abdomen, which 

 takes place in an advanced stage of pregnancy, causing a thinning 

 and stretching of the muscular fibers, which at last may rupture, or 

 give way. Such hernias frequently occur about the end of the period 

 of gestation, and in some instances have contained the right sac of 

 the rumen, the omentum, the small and large intestines, a portion of 

 the liver, and the pregnant uterus. 



