Diseases of the Digestive Organs. 253 



fevers (Kinderpest, Texan-fever, hog-cliolera, lung-fever.) 

 Lastly, a reflex irritation from the skin as in exposure to 

 chilling rains, night-dews, or damp stalls, or to hot damp 

 buUdings, seasons or localities. Horses are especially 

 Uable to superpurgation if worked or supplied with ice-cold 

 water during the operation of a dose of physic. 



Symptoms. These may be slight as in the frequent 

 pulpy evacuations of animals fed exclusively on roots, or 

 severe, as in the excessive and almost constant discharge 

 of a dark-colored liquid mixed with mucus. Slight diar- 

 rhoea does not affect the appetite, nor interfere with 

 improvement in condition, but in the severer forms there 

 is loud rumbling in the abdomen, loss of appetite and 

 condition, rapid, small, weak pulse, hurried breathing, 

 pallid mucous membranes and weakness even to unsteady 

 gait. Distension of the belly, with pawing and other signs 

 of abdominal pain may appear in bad cases. In horses it 

 is often followed by inflammation of the feet. 



Treatment. Unload the bowels by linseed, olive, or 

 castor-oil according to the patient, adding laudanum, and 

 foUow up by mucilaginous (linseed, gum Arabic, slip- 

 pery elm,) or starchy draughts or even injections with or 

 without laudanum as may seem required. In prolonged 

 and obstinate cases astringents (kino, catechu, oak bark, 

 tannic acid, nitrate of silver,) with tonics (gentian, cin- 

 chona, salicine, nux vomica,) and carminatives (campho- 

 rated spirit, ginger, peppers, caraway, fennel, etc.,) may 

 have to be employed. But in no case should astringents 

 or opiates be used until the ii-ritant has been carried off 

 by a laxative, and usually a change of diet is needful to 

 prevent a second attack. In acute or obstinate cases 

 dry rubbing or a blister to the beUy may be useful, and 

 perfect rest must be enjoined. 



DYSENTERY. BLOODY-ELTJX. 



This is a morbid process approaching inflammation oi 

 the mucous mem), ranes of the large intestines, and leading 



