144 DISEASES OF THE STOMACH AND BOWELS 



obstructs a natural opening or a sharp one begins to wander 

 in the body, symptoms such as described are suddenly 

 precipitated, which result in death in a short time; thus 

 accumulations of sand in the rumen may cause death in two 

 to three weeks, obstructing hair or wool balls in one to two 

 days. In some instances the condition may heal spontane- 

 ously if the sharp foreign body works back into the stomach 

 or in case it perforates the wall of the abdomen, producing 

 an abscess and subsequently a fistula, through which it 

 makes its escape into the outside world. These termina- 

 tions, however, are comparatively rare. In practice most of 

 the patients which develop clinical symptoms either die of 

 traumatic heart disease or pyemia. 



Prognosis. — ^The prognosis is usually bad. Most cases die 

 with pyemia or heart disease. 



Treatment. — Medicinal treatment is of little value, although 

 until a diagnosis is established it is recommended to treat as 

 in atony of the forestomachs. In a few instances surgical 

 interference has been successful. Rumenotomy may be per- 

 formed and the foreign body removed, provided, of course, 

 it has not completely penetrated the wall of the reticulum. 

 Another method is to cast and place the patient on its back. 

 The operator stands with one foot on a chair and the other 

 on the body of the patient over the region of the ensiform 

 cartilage. By pressing the abdominal wall in this region 

 downward with his foot seven to ten times it is claimed the 

 foreign body will be made to slip back into the reticulum . 

 However, it would be just as liable to penetrate in some 

 other direction, injuring now organs. Its use is, therefore, 

 not unattended with danger. 



As a general proposition the immediate slaughter of the 

 patient is recommended. From a prophylactic standpoint, 

 removing foreign bodies from the mangers, keeping cattle 

 away from where hay has been baled, etc., are important. 



GASTRO-INTESTINAL CATARRH OF SUCKLINGS. 



Scours of Sucklings. Sporadic Dysentery. 



Definition. — A' catarrh of the mucosa of the stomach and 

 bowels of calves, lambs, or foals. Clinically it is a diarrhea 



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