TOXIC GASTRITIS IN SOLIPEDS. 



Causes : caustics or irritants acting on mucosa, accidently, or malic- 

 iously. Symptoms : colics, pinched face, small rapid pulse, hurried breath- 

 ing, hyperthermia, sometimes salivation, color of buccal mucosa, odor, con- 

 gestion of tongue, thirst, urination, icterus, albuminuria, analysis of urine 

 or vomited matter. Lesions : congestion, corrosion, necrosis or ulceration 

 of gastric mucosa, discoloration. Treatment : antidote, stomach pump, 

 demulcents, coagulants. 



Causes. Toxic gastritis in .solipeds is peculiar in this that it 

 must be due to one or other of the more caustic or irritant agents, 

 which act chemically on the tissues, while those agents that re- 

 quire to be absorbed to establish a physiological irritation are 

 comparatively harmless. This depends on the fact that few or 

 none of the poisonous agents are absorbed by the gastric mucosa 

 of the soliped, and if ingested they must pass on into the duo- 

 denum before they can be absorbed into the tissues and blood- 

 vessels. Hence the horse is injured mainly by actual caustics 

 like mercuric chloride, zinc chloride, ferric or cupric sulphate, 

 the caustic alkalies or earths, or alkaline carbonates, and the 

 mineral acids. These may be taken accidently or administered 

 maliciously, or as medicines. 



Symptoms. Morbid symptoms vary according to the agent 

 swallowed. There are colics, anxious countenance, small 

 accelerated pulse, rapid breathing, hyperthermia, and salivation, 

 especially marked with mercuric chloride. The buccal mucosa 

 may give valuable indications, becoming white with muriatic 

 acid, or zinc, or antimony, or mercuric chloride, yellow with nitric 

 acid, and white changing to black with sulphuric acid or silver 

 nitrate. Ferric or cupric sulphate may give their re.spective colors 

 to the saliva, and the former will darken the faeces. 



The mouth is usually dry, hot, and clammy, and the edges of 

 the tongue red. Temperature is usually elevated, yet with tartar 

 emetic it may be distinctly reduced. Thirst is usually marked, 

 and urination frequent. Icterus and albuminuria attend on 

 pho.sphorus poisoning. When vomiting takes place the appear- 

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