ig8 Veterinary Medicine. 



eating ryegrass. The ripening seeds of many forage plants often 

 act in this way, (annual and perennial ryegrass, millet, Hun- 

 garian grass, chick vetch, vetches generally). The same has 

 been observed of the leaves of growing maize, grape-vine leaves, 

 and potato plants. 



Musty and spoiled fodders of all kinds are very dangerous, the 

 toxic principles of the fungi and bacterial ferments paralyzing 

 the sympathetic nervous filaments. 



Fodders that are imperfectly masticated and insalivated owing to 

 defective teeth or diseased jaws or glands are liable to prove 

 hurtful in a similar way. 



A full drink of water and especially of ice cold water after a 

 feed of grain is one of the most potent factors. The stomach and 

 intestines are both roused to violent peristaltic action, the undi- 

 gested food is washed on into the bowels, and too often the action 

 of the cold induces congestion and partial paresis, and exposes 

 the undigested mass to the uncontrolled action of ferments. 



Circulatory troubles caused by verminous embolism (see intes- 

 tinal congestion) is another very prolific factor. A sudden chill 

 in an animal that is perspiring and fatigued may precipitate an 

 attack, by causing a retrocession of blood from the skin to the 

 intestines, with resulting paresis of their coats. 



Symptoms. The condition is usually complicated with gastric 

 tympany, so that we have a complication of symptoms. The 

 history of the case is often diagnostic, showing one of the above / 

 mentioned causes, and above all a full drink after a feed of grain, 

 speedily followed by abdominal pain, gaseous distension of the 

 abdomen, causing death in two hours or upward. The distension 

 of the abdomen usually shows more on the right than the left, 

 and the resonance on percussion is greater. Colics are usually 

 less violent than in intestinal congestion, and the actions of the 

 animal are less precipitate or disorderly. He may lie down, roll 

 and rise, but the constant restless movement, the sitting on the 

 haunches, and the frequent agonized turning of the nose toward 

 the flank are rarely shown. The animal is rather dull and 

 prostrate, passing finally into a stupor, the face is pinched and 

 anxious, the back arched, the head pendent, the walk slow and 

 unsteady, and respiration and pulse accelerated. There is no 

 complete intermission of pain, though it is more acute at one 



