63 



freely open, and should be followed by the administration of vegetable tonics. 

 The diet should be limited in amount, and it will be advantageous to change 

 it. Internally we may administer half an ounce of Fowler's solution, with 

 lialf an ounce of bicarbonate of potassium in the drinking water, twice or 

 thrice daily after meals, for three or four days. Afterwards we may 

 administer stimulating balls, eight drachms each, of equal parts of carbonate 

 of ammonium, ginger, and gentian, made up with treacle. These may be 

 given at first twice, then once daily. Inflammation of the stomach or gastritis 

 may be acute or chronic. It is commonly due to toxic agents taken, but 

 may come on from indigestion, or it may arise from foreign bodies such as 

 calculi, or be due to bots. Crib biting also is not unfrequently a cause of 

 ■dyspepsia and chronic gastritis. The treatment of these affections is in the 

 main similar to that of the preceding. Under any circumstances the food 

 should be restricted in amount in the acute variety, consisting of linseed 

 gruel and other non-irritating niaterial ; but in all cases it is necessary to 

 ascertain the cause, and if any poison has been ingested, it will be necessary 

 to treat the inflammation in accordance with the nature of the toxic agent. 

 Tincture of opium in doses of one ounce and a half, with one ounce of sulphuric 

 ^ther, and one ounce of spirit of chloroform, given three or four times during 

 the day in three quarters of a pint of gruel, will be found very beneficial 

 Fortunately, acute gastritis is not very common in the horse. 



RUPTURE OF THE STO.MACH. 



There remains for our consideration but one more disease of the stomach, and 

 although it is nearly always fatal, we propose to treat of it pretty fully, because 

 it illustrates so well the baneful effects liable to be caused by injudicious 

 feeding and work. Partial or complete rupture of the walls of the stomach 

 is not uncommon among horses. It is mainly due to errors in dieting and 

 work, and is more frequently met with among the heavier draught horses, 

 which are especially subjected to irregularities of work, and defective dietetic 

 arrangements. Rupture is especially likely to occur when a large amount 

 of food is given after exhausting or prolonged work. Under these 

 circumstances, the food is especially liable to undergo fermentative changes 

 from its longer retention in the stomach, owing to the slow and imperfect 

 action of the gastric juice and defective movements of the walls. It is more 

 frequent in horses fed on bruised than on whole grains, especially when put 

 to W'Ork after a full meal. Rupture of the stomach is probably, in most 

 instances, preceded by derangement and distention, or actual disease of the 

 walls, consequent on chronic indigestion and other causes. It is rarely met 

 with in young animals, but most commonly occurs in aged horses, especially 

 when these have undergone severe exertion, or have been overworked for a 

 long period. 



Vomiting, or attempts at vomiting, generally occur in rupture of the 

 ^stomach, but as it is not invariably present, and may proceed from other 



