156 VOMITING. 



alone unobstructed for the purposes of vomiting when the 

 stomach is inordinately distended, or has suffered injury, or 

 the oesophagus is morbidly dilated. Relax, beyond any point 

 consistent with health, the muscular coat which throws a very 

 ample mucus membrane into innumerable folds at the cardiac 

 end, and not only nausea, but the act of vomiting occurs. It 

 is unquestionably the fact, that in the morbid states charac- 

 terised by vomiting in the horse, the stomach is usually in- 

 capacitated for any response to nervous stimuli, and the 

 expulsion is undoubtedly effected by the abdominal walls. 



In ruminants, vomiting is rare, but possible. They are 

 only very slightly susceptible to the action of emetics, and 

 this is very remarkably shown by the enormous doses of 

 potassic tartrate of antimony which cattle will bear without 

 manifesting the slightest symptom. 



Treatment of Vomiting. We are sometimes called to 

 check the violent retching seen in dogs when suffering from 

 general disorder or intestinal affections. I find, under these 

 circumstances, the best remedy is the dilute hydrocyanic acid, 

 given in doses of from one to four drops in water, wine, or 

 other fluid. The following is a useful prescription in some 

 cases : 



Tincture of opium . . .10 drops. 



Chloroform . . . .20 drops. 



Cold water .... 1 ounce. 



This may be given at once or in two doses. A little pure 



lemon juice or some ice, may allay gastric irritation when 



other substances fail. 



As dogs are easily acted on by emetics, they are frequently 

 dosed with them, and I have seen many cases of death from 

 exhaustion, diarrhoea, or dysentery, especially in cases of dis- 

 temper, from abuse in the employment of drugs given with 

 a view to unload the stomach. 



