146 DISEASES OF THE STOMACH AND BOWELS 



color, often foamy, of pungent, sour odor and voided with 

 tenesmus and considerable force. Sometimes they are floc- 

 culent (like buttermilk). They are usually sticky and 

 adherent to the anus, tail, buttocks, etc., which regioiis they 

 excoriate. As the disease progresses the patieat becomes 

 weak and anemic, and remains lying most of the time. The 

 eyeballs retract, the skin feels cool, moist, and sticky, and 

 a most disagreeable odor is emitted from the body. In fatal 

 cases toward the end the periphery of the body grows cold, 

 the anal sphincter relaxed, and incontinence of feces follows. 

 Death may occur under convulsions. 



Diagnosis. — Gastro-intestinal catarrh may be confused 

 with infectious dysentery of newborn animals. This latter 

 disease, however, usually appears earlier (may be born 

 with it), runs a much more rapid course, and is very fatal 

 (80 per cent, mortality). 



Course and Prognosis. — ^The course is generally favorable. 

 Often, even after several days' illness, the diarrhea suddenly 

 ceases, the appetite returns, and recovery is rapid. In 

 grave cases the diarrhea may persist for weeks and the 

 disease finally lead to death through catarrhal pneumonia. 

 The younger the animal at the time of attack the less 

 favorable the prognosis. 



Treatment. — ^The diet should be restricted. The surround- 

 ings, drinking vessels, etc., of the patient should be made 

 clean and sterile. Hand-fed calves may be given pasteurized 

 or formalin milk (1 to 25,000). Lime-water added to the 

 milk (5j to the quart) is good. Boiled oatmeal is a valu- 

 able addition to prevent bloating. The teats of the mother 

 should be cleansed before the young are allowed to suck. 

 Castor oil (Bj) is a valuable drug in the earlier stages, as it 

 removes from the bowel the irritant contents. This may be 

 followed by an intestinal disinfectant, such as salicylic acid 

 (3ss) sometimes combined with tannin (3ss). Calomel 

 (grs. xx) is a valuable drug for foals. To check the diarrhea, 

 opium (3j) combined with tannin (3j) and whisky (gij) 

 given in a pint of warm water is efficient. A non-officinal 

 preparation to check diarrhea is favorably spoken of. It is 

 called "Mistura contra Diarrhoeum," and has the following 



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