46 



DIARRHCEA. 



Cause. — Quantities of crude indigested food of any 

 sort, or swallowing any foreign substance, will produce this 

 disease. Horses brought from one part of the States to 

 another, in which water of a very different composition 

 from that previously used, given to animals, has been known 

 to induce scouring for some time. Certain breeds of horses 

 under the slightest exertion are troubled in this way. 



Diarrhoea also follows from irritating and impure matters 

 in the blood ; also from eating large quantities of green 

 food, and lastly, it comes on occasionally as a sequel to 

 some debilitating disease. 



Symptoms. — Mere looseness of the bowels without 

 straining is not to be confounded with diarrhoea, in which 

 there is nearly always some substance impacted in the in- 

 testines, unless in the cases already excepted. Constant 

 expulsion of liquid faeces from the bowels (not always in 

 large quantities), is nature's own remedy for driving out the 

 noxious substance from the alimentary canal. The evacu- 

 ation contains mucus, bilious and fsecel matters, in which 

 it differs very much from dysentery, (in which disease blood 

 is also evacuated). 



Treatment. — Active treatment in ordinary cases is not 

 advised. It is best to watch the symptoms, and help nature 

 in doing its own work. Should there be great straining 

 with little evacuations, her indications are there for laxitive 

 remedies to assist her. In this case, take of aloes four 

 drachms, gentian four drachms, make into a ball of one 

 dose. An equal amount of ginger may be given yistead of 

 gentian. Should there be continued purging from relaxation 

 of mucous lining of the intestines after the expulsion of all 

 offending substances, here soothing remedies are to be 

 given. Take of ether and laudanum one ounce, with 

 twenty grains of tannin, put them into a pint of gruel, or 

 flax seed tea, for one dose for the horse. The provender 



