270 BOVINE PATHOLOGY. 



and such ofher food material for digestion in the true 

 stomach. Here, as often in the former case, obstinate 

 constipation sets in. Usually in such cases as are charac- 

 terised by diarrhoea, resort is had at once to the sheep 

 and calves' cordial (see page 81). This is not always good 

 treatment. It is preferable to first administer oil, whether 

 constipation or laxity is present, and it has been found 

 that alkaline drinks in considerable quantity are most 

 useful in breaking up the mass of curd and also in check- 

 ing the excess of acid and acrid secretion which gives 

 rise to disorder of the bowels. At the same time carmi- 

 native agents may be given to promote the digestive 

 processes. When the constipation gives way, and as is 

 sometimes the case, is succeeded by profuse diarrhoea, it 

 will still be advisable to give cordials to assist these 

 natural processes, and at the same time stimulant tonic 

 doses will prove beneficial. As a change of diet, Dobson's 

 recommendation of substituting linseed gruel for half of 

 the allowance of milk may be adopted. 



The Intestines of the Ox are from twenty to twenty-two 

 times the length of the body, and entend for an average 

 distance of 150 feet, of which 120 feet are small. Though 

 thus half as long again as those of the horse, they are much 

 smaller in calibre. The duodenum is short ; the floating 

 portion of the small intestine is arranged along the free 

 margin of the mesentery, being here thrown into complex 

 convolutions by the sudden considerable increase in extent 

 of the mesentery close against its free margin. Besides 

 the usual structures (the mesenteric glands being remark- 

 ably near the free margin rather than the root), the 

 mesentery contains the major portion of the large 

 intestines. 



The GcBcum is club-shaped, largest at its free extremity, 

 and gradually tapering until it gains the size of the com- 

 mencement portion of the colon. It is not puckered, for 

 it is devoid of muscular bands. Also it hangs freely 

 downwards and somewhat backwards. 



The Colon is double throughout the greater part of its 

 course, and arranged in a spiral manner between the 



