248 The Farmer's Veterinary Adviser. 



rain, or cold sponge when exhausted, a sudden change to 

 dry grain feeding, to new oats or hay, to rank, rapidly- 

 grown clover or grasses, or to musty food. 



Symptoms. When not supervening on indigestion or ob- 

 slruction of the bowels its onset is sudden. The patient 

 stamps, paws, looks at his flank, moves from place to place, 

 ■\v^alks crouchingly, lies down, roUs, acts in short as in spas- 

 modic coKc, but there is a more careful lying down, there is 

 no intermission to the paiu, the face continues pinched and 

 anxious even if the beast stands quiet for a few seconds, 

 the eye remains fixed and glazed, the pupils dUated, the 

 breathiug hurried and catching, the pulse rapid, and be- 

 coming smaller and weaker, the temperature unnaturally 

 high, the surface covered with sweat and often cold, and 

 the limbs and ears deathly cold. The abdomen is usually 

 tender. As the disease advances the animal may become 

 stUl but aU the other signs are worse. Others become 

 reckless and dash about peehng and injuring themselves 

 and imperiling those about them. The bowels are confined 

 and in the advanced stages the pellets passed may be 

 stained with blood. Death may ensue in from three to 

 twenty-four hours after the onset. 



Treatment. If seen at the outset give a mild laxative 

 (olive-oil) with an anodyne (hyoscyamus). Bleeding from 

 the jugular vein may give prompt relief if the pulse is stiU 

 full and strong. But neither of these can be ventured upon 

 except at the very outset, and therefore in the great major- 

 ity of cases are to be avoided. Apply hot fomentations to 

 the belly by a blanket wrung out of water nearly boiling, 

 rub the limbs with ammonia, mustard or tui-pentine, and 

 give injections of warm water containing anodynes (bella- 

 donna, hyoscyamus, opium, aconite, tobacco, etc.). 



If the soft, weak, rapid pulse bespeaks already existing 

 effusion, avoid bleeding and laxatives, give one or two 

 drachms of opium by mouth, or better one or two grains 

 sulphate of morphia injected under the skin, i-epeating as 

 often as may be requisite to moderate suffering and keep 



