ENTEEITIS EXUDATIVA. 285 



the faeces at first hard and dry, become liquid and glary. 

 These symptoms always increase in intensity until the fourth 

 or fifth day, and so far the exudative enteritis differs in no 

 respect from the simple inflammation of the intestine, but 

 from the fifth to the sixth day, and rarely beyond the eighth 

 in the exudative form, greyish false membranes are expelled, 

 as already described. Recovery is generally prompt, after such 

 expulsion. 



Professor Lassaigne examined these membranes, and 

 found that they were formed of a fibrino-albuminous matter, 

 with mucous and alkaline or earthy salts. 



The cases of ' moulten grease ' described by old authors, 

 as observed in the horse and ox, are evidently cases of this 

 singular affection. Indeed, I have seen shreds of loose, false 

 membrane, discharged by the horse in cases of acute diarrhoea, 

 and portions of such membrane have always been regarded 

 as worms. 



Treatment consists in an aloetic purge, or the use of sul- 

 phate of soda, sulphate of magnesia, or nitre, in doses of from 

 4 to 8 oz., repeated twice daily if the first two, or doses of 

 one ounce of the last, at similar periods. Injections and 

 sloppy gruel relieve and hasten convalescence. 



PERITONITIS. 



This disease consists in inflammation of the serous mem- 

 brane which lines the cavity of the belly, and covers the 

 organs contained within the latter. 



Causes. It is usually produced by wounds, and the 

 greatest difference exists amongst our domestic animals as to 

 the tendency to inflammation of the peritoneum. It is a 

 very common cause of death from castration in the horse, and 

 if any abdominal wound is inflicted in this animal, either in 

 the performance of a surgical operation or by accident, death 



