534: DISEASES AND THEIR TREATMENT. 



THE STOMACH. 



* , 



The stomach is that pouch or bag into which the food passes 

 from the gullet, and in which it undergoes the primary and essential 

 changes in the process of digestion. The stomach of the horse is a 

 comparatively small organ ; its shape is generally compared to the 

 air-bag on a pair of bag-pipes, It has two openings, the cardiac, 

 into which the food enters from the gullet, and the pyloric, through 

 which it passes into the bowels, or gut. Its inner surface is lined 

 by two distinct membranes, a cuticular and a villous I The former 

 lines the cardiac portion, and is white and wrinkled; the latter 

 covers the pyloric, and is yellowish red, soft and velvety to the 

 touch. The latter is the true digestive stomach. In it the gastric 

 juice is secreted, and the essential process of chymification, or the 

 formation of the food into chyme, goes on, the former being merely 

 for macerating and further triturating the masticated food. 



Indigestion. 



Indigestion in one form or another is very common in the 

 horse. It occurs in two forms, which may be distinguished as acid- 

 ity of the stomach, or heart-burn, and acute indigestion, or total 

 arrestment of digestion. 



'Acidity of the Stomach. 



Acidity of the stomach arises from bad food and irregular feed- 

 ing. 



Symptoms. — The animal is observed to lose condition ; the skin 

 is dusty and unthrifty ; he is continually poking and picking among 

 the litter, licking out the corners of the manger, occasionally stretch- 

 ing out the nose, and pouting the upper lip. If turned out, he licks 

 earth or sand, and evinces a .depraved appetite ; at work he is easily 

 sweated ; his bowels are irregular, the dung being light-colored and 

 glazed. 



Treatment. — Change the feed, give sweet, well-cured hay, a few 

 bran-mashes, and gentle walking exercise. Give him the following 

 laxative ball : — 



Barbadoes aloes 6 dr. 



Ground ginger 2 dr. 



Carbonate of soda ";......-. 2 dr. • 



Make into a ball with molasses or lard. 



Place a lump of rock salt in his manger, and give a little car- 

 bonate of soda or magnesia twice a day in the feed. When recovery 

 begins, give him tonics for some time, with gentle exercise. If he 



