106 THEORY AND PRACTICE 



2. Organic disease of the oesophagus with 



a dilatation of the cardiac opening. 



3. Rupture either partial or complete of 



the walls of the stomach. The rupt- 

 ure may be 2-4 inches long; if it is 

 very long, the horse cannot vomit. 



4. Closure of the pyloric orifice by a 



plug of indigestible food which pre- 

 vents the food from passing out into 

 the duodenum. 

 In case of distention the greater curvature will be the most 

 distended and rupture will occur here. 



INDIGESTION. 



Indigestion occurs in all animals. It is a functional disturb- 

 ance. It is named gastric or intestinal according to its location. 

 The gastric form occurs in three degrees of severity : 



1. Acute. 



2. Subacute. 



3. Chronic. 



Under the head of acute indigestion we have two or three 

 different conditions : 



1. Engorgement of the stomach. 



2. Stomach staggers. 



3. Gastric flatulence. 



Acute gastric indigestion usually comes on suddenly. It is 

 always a serious affection, often producing death either by (1 ) 

 exhaustion or collapse, (2) asphyxia, (3) rupture of the stom- 

 ach, or (4) gastritis. 



Etiology. — The chief causes are overloading the stomach, 

 eating too fast, insufficient mastication, insufficient insalivation, 

 eating when physically exhausted, and improper food, especially 

 that not assimilable by the animal. The insalivation is very 

 important because it produces amylopsis. Eating when physically 

 exhausted is probably the main cause of indigestion — the horse 

 will eat too fast and the stomach, being depressed, will not act. 



