CATARRHAL INFLAMMATION OF THE FOURTH 

 STOMACH. 



Usually a complication. Causes, predisposing, exciting, changes of food 

 or water, spoiled, frosted or fermented food, green potatoes, caterpillars, 

 Nitrogenous food, irritants. Symptoms : Separation from herd, grinding 

 teeth, eructation, depraved appetite, [fever, tender epigastrium, coated dung r 

 red eyes, fixed or retracted, dilated, blind eyes, drooping ears, nervous 

 symptoms, reckless, unconscious movements, bellowing, tender skin, tremors. 

 Lesions : Congestion and exudate in gastric mucosa, hemorrhagic discolora- 

 tion, desquamation, excess of mucus, resemblance to rinderpest, Texas 

 fever and malignant catarrh. Treatment : Empty stomach by bland laxa. 

 tives, stimulants of peristalsis, calmatives, cold to head, counter-irritants, 

 enemata, bitters. 



This affection is by no means rare in cattle, though it is usually 

 complicated with inflammation of the first three stomachs or of 

 the intestines. Nevertheless, when the disease appears to be 

 concentrated on the fourth stomach mainly, it may well take its 

 name accordingly. 



Causes. A predisposition to the affection occurs in the weak 

 and debilitated, the over-worked oxen, under-fed cattle, in those 

 that are just recovering from a severe illness and in which the 

 gastric secretions and functions are still poor. The usual excit- 

 ing cause is some fault in the food, it may be a sudden change 

 from one kind to another, and especially from dry to green, or 

 from one kind of green food to another and more tempting one, 

 as when the animal breaks into a field of grain which is advanc- 

 ing to maturity. Even a sudden change of water, as from soft 

 to hard has seemed in our experience to contribute to its develop- 

 ment. Next come spoiled aliments, frosted or frozen turnips, 

 beets, carrots, potatoes, apples, turnip tops, fermented grasses, 

 musty hay, sun-exposed potatoes, putrid vegetables, and cater- 

 pillars on cabbages, tree leaves and other vegetables. Next come 

 products that are highly nitrogenous, like vetches, alfalfa, sain- 

 foin, clover, and the cakes of linseed, rape and cottonseed. Irri- 

 tant plants such as colchicum, digitalis, yew, raddish, etc., have 

 been charged as causative agents. 



Symptoms. These are often difficult to distinguish from those 

 of indigestion or acute lead poisoning, and they vary in different 

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