242 The Farmers Veterinary Adviser. 



IMPACTION OP THE LAEGE mTESTINES KT HOESES. 



This results from overfeeding, especially on grain, 

 (Indian corn, wheat,) from hard, fibrous, indigestible food 

 taken in excess to make up for the deficieney of quality ; 

 fi'om imperfect preparation of the food in diseases of the 

 teeth, jaws or sahvary glands ; from insufficiency of water, 

 and eminently from want of exercise. 



Symptoms. Considerable impaction may last for a time 

 without any sign, and the disease finally shows itself sud- 

 denly as a violent coHc. More commonly transient cohcs 

 come on after meals for several days in succession. There 

 are pawing with the fore feet, uneasy movements, or kicking 

 of the belly with the hind, lying down and rising at sliort 

 intervals, turning of the nose toward the flank, and the 

 frequent passage of wind and of dung, the latter a few 

 small pellets at a time. There is special fullness and 

 tension of the right side of the belly, dullness on per- 

 cussion, solid resistance when pressed, and if the soaped 

 hand is introduced through the last gut the solidly im- 

 pacted bowels are usually to be felt. The pressure of 

 these on the bladder often causes frequent discharges of 

 urine. A favorite position is one with the fore limbs 

 stretched forward and the hind backward. 



Treatment. In mild cases and in the early stages give a 

 laxative diet (roots, soft bran mashes, oil meal, cornstalks,) 

 and two or three ounces of Glauber salts daily in the food. 

 In tlie more severe, give aloes, physostigma, gentian and 

 nux vomica, and in case of tympany, carbonate of ammonia 

 or peppermint ; relieve pain by hj'oscyamus or belladonna, 

 and follow up with frequent injections of warm water, and 

 frictions and fomentations of the abdomen. The aloes 

 should not be repeated under twenty-four hours, but il 

 there is evidence of their having passed off by the kidneys 

 they may be replaced by linseed or olive-oil. The action 

 of the bowels may be deferred three or four days without 

 a fatal result whereas too much medicine will often cause 

 ruptnro of the gut in fi-ont of the impaction. 



