THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM. 285 



Within the space of one hour after this operation was per- 

 formed the ox dunged, and the piece of the keck which 

 the said end of the gut were sewn upon came away from 

 the ox with the dung, whereupon the ox recovered, and 

 lived to do the owner service for several years/ '^ 



We may here discuss the value of cathartics in cattle 

 practice. All practitioners of experience advocate prompt 

 exhibition of a full cathartic dose when a beast is taken 

 ill. Undoubtedly, in the majority of cases, this is good 

 practice. It is useful in all inflammations, except of the 

 alimentary canal, and when this tube is affected symptoms 

 are generally manifested sufficiently long before the in- 

 flammatory stage occurs, and so one cause of these dis- 

 orders is removed, and congestion probably relieved by 

 the timely use of a saline cathartic. Again, the quality 

 or quantity of food ingested is the cause of many dis- 

 orders. The cathartic generally administered to the ox — 

 Epsom salts — is not so drastic as that given to the horse ; 

 and notably, catharsis can be produced with greater 

 facility and more rapidly in the former animal than in 

 the latter. This is probably due to the less complexity 

 and digestive importance of the intestines in the ox. A 

 direct result of it is that in this animal we seldom see super- 

 purgation, and when this does take place it must not be 

 hastily checked, but the food must be dry, and the animal 

 protected from exposure. It will seldom fail to cease spon- 

 taneously, but too hasty administration of powerful astrin- 

 gent agents might do serious harm. We must remember 

 that cathartic agents may remain in one of the oesophageal 

 compartments of the stomach for a considerable length of 

 time without producing any effect, and when the function of 

 the rumino-reticular sphincter is perverted, as in disease, 

 the whole of a cathartic dose may fall into an inert rumen ; 

 it cannot pass from here very freely when the move- 

 ments of this stomach are irregular. This state of affairs 

 is especially liable to take place when impaction of the 

 omasum tends to obstruct, if it does not actually block 

 up the lower part of the oesophageal passage. In some 

 cases stimulants or other cordial agents will rouse the 



