ACUTE INDIGESTION. 535 



persists in devouring the litter, muzzle him up for a few days. This, 

 if neglected, is apt to run on to diabetes or jaupis. 



Acute Indigestion. 



Acute indigestion is very common in this country, especially in 

 the spring, from the continuous hard work, and necessarily liberal 

 feeding. It is usually induced by overfeeding, that is, eating too 

 much at a time, more especially when the animal has been fatigued 

 and hungry. It sometimes occurs from his breaking loose in the 

 night, and gorging himself at the corn-bin. Another frequent cause 

 is overloading the stomach with clover or green feed when wet ; 

 this often induces violent and fatal indigestion. 



Symptoms. — Digestion may be arrested, either by "the food un- 

 dergoing no change,' forming a dangerous load, or running rapidly 

 to frightful fermentation." In the former case the animal is dull and 

 / stupid, the pulse is slow, and the breathing oppressed; he is stiff, 

 and inflammation of the feet, or acute founder, is apt to set in. If he 

 have access to water, it speedily sets up fermentation, gas being 

 rapidly evolved ; the stomach is greatly distended, the belly swol- 

 len, colicky pains set in, he rolls about in great agony, looking wist- 

 fully at his flank, kicking his belly with his feet ; he tosses about in 

 despair, the bowels being unmoved. He gets up and down fre- 

 quently, the sweat rolls off him in streams, and in many cases death 

 puts an end to his sufferings in from four to six or eight hours, 

 caused by rupture of the stomach or bowels, or violent inflammation 

 of the intestines. 



Treatment. — It is more easily prevented, than cured, by simply 

 attending to the following rules : Never let a horse get too hungry ; 

 never give him too much at a time ; never put him to work on a full 

 stomach ; and never let him drink too freely after eating, and we 

 will seldom see this fatal disease. 



Treatment must be prompt to be effectual. The following 

 drench will be found useful : — 



Barbadoes aloes '. 8 dr. 



Liquor ammonia , . .' j 1 fl. oz. 



Or, spirits of turpentine 2 fl. oz. 



Dissolve the aloes with a little carbonate of soda, in nearly a quart of warm 

 water, and add the other. 



Rub the belly well, and apply cloths wrung out of boiling water 

 diligently to it. Give copious injections of soap and water, or a 

 mild infusion of tobacco or tobacco-smoke. If no relief is obtained 

 in one or two hours, give at intervals of an hour, two drachms car- 

 bonate of ammonia, £ ounce ginger (powdered), in gruel. 



