154 Veterinary Medicine. 



pinching of the countenance, rigid loins insensible to pinching, 

 and heat and dryness with an acid odor in the mouth. There is 

 soon observed some swelling and tension of the belly with tym- 

 panitic resonance on percussion in the left hypochondrium. 

 There is no elevation of temperature as in gastritis, and no com- 

 plete intermissions of pain as in spasmodic colic, but pain is con- 

 tinuous, though worse at one time than another. There is an 

 utter indisposition to eat or drink and if liquids are given by 

 force there is manifest aggravation of the sufferings. As a rule 

 there is no rumbling of the bowels, and though the animal may 

 strain violently, little or nothing is passed, except at the first a 

 few moulded balls of dung. The bowels like the .stomach, are 

 paralyzed. In some cases there are attempts at regurgitation, 

 the fore feet are placed apart, the neck arched, the lower cervical 

 muscles are contracted and the nose drawn in toward the breast. 

 In some in.stances relief is obtained by belching gas or by actual 

 vomiting of solid matters. Vomiting in the horse is always 

 ground for suspicion, since it usually occurs when the mu.scular 

 coat of the .stomach is ruptured. An important hindrance to 

 vomiting lies in the loose folds of the mucoisa covering the cardia, 

 in the flaccid condition, and as these folds may be entirely effaced 

 in hernia of the mucosa through the muscular coat as well as in 

 the overdistended condition, vomiting may be either a fatal or a 

 favorable indication. If vomiting takes place, without attendant 

 prostration and .sinking, and if on the contrary there is manifest 

 improvement after it, it may be looked on as a beneficent out- 

 come. 



If no such relief is obtained the patient becomes increasingly 

 dull and stupid ; the breathing is accelerated, short, moaning or 

 wheezing ; the nostrils dilated ; the nasal mucosa dark red ; the 

 superficial veins, e-specially those of the face, are distended and 

 prominent. 



The nervous symptoms may vary. U.sually the dullness in- 

 creases to stupor, the animal re,sts his head on the manger or 

 against the wall, or if at liberty he may move forward or around 

 blindly until .some obstacle is met and he stumbles over it or 

 pushes against it. In some in.stances there is champing of the 

 jaws, or irregular motions of the limbs, but more commonly the 

 dullne.ss goes on to stupor and coma, the animal falls helpless 

 and dies in a state of profound in.sensibility. 



