no THEORY AND PRACTICE 



horse is out doors, he will probably stagger along. This usually 

 lasts several hours, or until fermentation of the mass in the stom- 

 ach takes place, with evolution of gas. Then the animal wakes, 

 bloats, and unless he gets prompt relief, will die. It then turns 

 into gastric flatulence. 



Treatment. — The doctor will probably be called during the 

 stage of stupor, as that is the main evidence to the owner that 

 'his animal is sick. Bear in mind that the horse is loaded with 

 grain sufficient to kill him. Drench him carefully with quanti- 

 ties of saturated solution of sodium sulphate, magnesium sul- 

 phate, or good liberal doses of turpentine. Give two ounces of 

 turpentine every hour, until you have given two or three doses. 

 A little renal congestion may follow so much turpentine, or poly- 

 uria, and possibly strangury, but these symptoms are harmless. 

 The purpose of this treatment is to prevent fermentation and to 

 dilute the contents of the stomach. After the danger is passed, 

 give the horse a dose of aloes in solution. A case of this kind is 

 always serious and sometimes fatal. Prevent if possible fer- 

 mentation. Give liberal doses of antiferments, and then pro- 

 duce purgation. If this line of treatment fails to cure, use the 

 stomach tube as directed for gastric flatulence. 



CHRONIC GASTRIC INDIGESTION. 



This corresponds to dyspepsia in the human. It is funda- 

 mentally a derangement of the stomach in which digestion is im- 

 perfectly performed. It is not dangerous nor even serious but 

 it takes a long time to cure. 



Etiology. — Chronic gastric indigestion is usually caused by : 



1. Errors in diet. 



2. Faulty gastric secretions. 



3. Abnormalities affecting the movements 



of the stomach. 



The errors in diet include irregular feeding, too long contin- 

 uation of one kind of food, bad quality of food, like musty oats, 

 over-ripe hay or moldy grain. 



Faulty secretions are usually seen in case of deficiency in se- 



