Overloaded (^Impacted) Rumen. iii 



bles throughout the entire fermenting mass, instead of separating 

 to form a gaseous area beneath the lumbar transverse processes. 



The respiration is hurried, labored and accompanied with a 

 moan, the visible mucosae are congested, the eyes are protruded 

 and glassy from dilatation of the pupils, the feet are propped out- 

 ward, and the head extended on the neck. There may be signs 

 of dull colicy pains, movements of the tail and shifting of the 

 hind feet, in some cases the patient may even lie down but never 

 remains long recumbent. There may be occasional passages of 

 semi-liquid manure, though usually the bowels are torpid and 

 neither passages nor rumbling sounds on the right side can be 

 detected. When moved the animal usually grunts or moans at 

 each step, and especially when going down hill, owing to the 

 ■concussion of the stomach on the diaphragm. In cases due to 

 green food the irritation may extend to the fourth stomach and 

 intestines and a crapulous diarrhoea may ensue. The tempera- 

 ture remains normal as a rule. The disease is more protracted 

 than tympany, yet after several hours of suffering and continual 

 aggravation the dullness may merge into stupor, the mucosae be- 

 come cyanotic and death ensues from shock, asphyxia, or 

 apoplexy. 



Course. Termination. Many cases recover in connection with 

 a restoration of the contractions of the rumen, the eructation of 

 gas, in some rare cases vomiting or spasmodic rejection of quanti- 

 ties of the iugesta, and the passage of gas by the bowels. This 

 may be associated with' a watery diarrhoea, and loud rumbling of 

 the right side, which may continue for twenty-four hours or 

 longer. With the subsidence of the diarrhoea there comes a re- 

 turn of health, or there may remain slight fever, inappetence, sus- 

 pended or impaired rumination, dullness, listlessness, and a 

 mucous film on the faeces. This indicates some remaining gastro- 

 ■enteritis. 



In some instances there is rupture of the diaphragm with 

 marked increase in the abdominal pain and the difficulty of 

 breathing. In others there is a laceration of the inner and middle 

 <:oats of the rumen so that the gas diffuses under the peritoneum 

 and may even be betrayed by an emphysematous extravasation 

 under the .skin. 



Diagnosis. From tympany this is easily distinguished by the 



