292 BOVINE PATHOLOGY. 



perature. The torpidity of the bowels is due to cessation 

 of peristalsis, for the inflamed muscular coat loses its 

 contractile powers. 



Post-mortem examination. — The intestines become very 

 soon distended with gas. The peritoneum is congested, 

 inflamed, or gangrenous over the parts of the intestine, 

 which are the centre of diseased action. The peritoneal 

 sac contains a considerable quantity of sero-sanguineous 

 fluid, sometimes also flocculi of lymph. Both small and 

 large bowels are generally involved. The walls of the bowel 

 are thickened and various in colour in different parts, from 

 the redness of simple congestion to the green condition 

 found in gangrene. There is much gelatinous effusion and 

 some blood extravasation between the muscular fibres, and 

 the contents of the bowels are mainly blood and mucus. 



Treatment. — Careful nursing, external stimulation of 

 the abdomen by means of hot- water rugs and ammoniacal 

 or turpentine applications, manual removal of accumu- 

 lated faeces from the rectum, with anodyne and muci- 

 laginous injections. Cathartics must be avoided, for they 

 cannot make the intestines act, and will only irritate. 

 Aconite, or preferably opium, should be admistered inter- 

 nally, while the extreme thirst of the patient may be relieved 

 by nitrated water. In this disorder the early abstraction 

 of blood has been found highly beneficial, and the animals 

 affected are usually well able to stand the depletion. 

 Hot-water applications are used as follows : — The furnace 

 or copper having been set going to ensure a free supply 

 of boiling water a blanket is folded and placed trans- 

 versely beneath the belly of the patient ; it is held on 

 either side by a man, while a third pours fresh water in 

 when the blanket begins to cool. During the intervals 

 the blanket is kept well up against the abdomen. This 

 should generally be continued for about half an hour, 

 when the parts should be rubbed thoroughly dry, and a 

 little ammoniacal solution applied with friction. This 

 active method of treatment proves most effectual in some 

 abdominal disorders. It can be repeated if necessary. 



Fibrinous Oasts of the Intestines are not rare in the 



