TILE HORSE—THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM. 71 
the body and legs warmly; omit all exercise for two or three days, and 
when the appetite returns feed boiled oats or barley. 
DYSENTERY.—BLOODY FLUX. ° 
Inflammation of the membrane lining the large intestines occasions 
an unusual secretion of mucus, usually tinged with blood, attended with 
straining, and this is called dysentery, or bloody flux. A fever of alow 
typhoid nature may cause it, or extreme heat, or indeed anything that de- 
presses the nervous system may be the cause, as well as exposure to cold 
and wet, sudden chill, diseases of the skin and breathing organs, bad, exces- 
sive, or insufficient food, low, marshy grazing, oppressive, dry, sultry 
weather long continued, and it may result from diarrhea. It is not com- 
mon among horses, except in the chronic form. 
Symptoms. 
These are in some respects like those in diarrhea, but it 
will be observed that the disease under question is marked by a mixture of 
blood and mucus in the dung; pulse small and quick; great thirst; quick- 
ened breathing; at first, shivering and fever-indications; appetite gone; 
slight griping; frequent straining; pain in belly; end of rectum some- 
times protrudes in straining; loss of spirits. When the discharges are oc- 
casional, following marked constipation, and consist of a small hard ball or 
two, with wind and much straining, the disease is true dysentery; when 
they are dreggy, it is called diarrhaea, the discharge not being attended 
with straining. 
TREATMENT.—Dysentery is often the result of clogging or impaction 
of the bowels, giving rise to inflammation, and in such cases this cause is 
to be removed by giving large draughts of olive or linseed oil, together 
with full injections of starch-water. When this has been effected, and the 
disorder is still accompanied with severe straining, protrusion of the rectum, 
discharges of blood, or of slimy, bloody mucus, with hardened dung, or 
with discharges nearly black and mixed with tough lymph, and frequent 
and straining attempts to pass urine, mercurius corrosivus will be invalu- 
able. Give nux vomica if the dysentery is attended with constipation at 
times, with frequent passage of one or two hard balls, straining and un- 
successful efforts to pass urine and wind. Phosphorie acid is very service- 
able for dysenteric diarrhea, with fevers of a typhoid character. Give 
arsenicum if the dung is liquid, passed nearly involuntarily, bloody, offen- 
sive, and greenish, or nearly black; rumbling.and windy bowels; loss of 
appetite, strength and flesh; skin and extremities cold; straining and pas- 
sages of wind; for debility resulting from bleeding, purging, and such dis- 
eases as typhoid fever. As food give mashes of bran, crushed wheat or 
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