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56 DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE APPARATUS. 



frequently, especially after eating or drinking, but may vomit 

 without anything on the stomach. If after eating, it consists of 

 masses of undigested food mixed with a tenacious mucus; if 

 after drinking, the water is tenacious and forms bubbles of thick 

 mucus — this may be streaked with blood or more or less tinted 

 with bile, according to the condition of the liver. The tongue is 

 coated with a thick, white mucus, and on pressure in the region 

 of the stomach the animal evinces pain. The animal is irritable 

 and wants to keep in the dark and in cool places. The nose is 

 dry, and there may be some rise of the temperature. If the symp- 

 toms are of an alarming character, they are generally caused by 

 some toxic condition, due to the formation of poisons generated 

 in the stomach (ptomains). With this we have a putrid smell in 

 the mouth, great depression or even complete coma, and evidences 

 of acute narcotic poisoning. 



There are always some intestinal complications. There is in- 

 creased excretion of feces, generally diarrhoea, and occasionally 

 icterus of a catarrhal nature. The animal, as a rule, makes a 

 good recovery. In very rare cases the condition becomes chronic, 

 death never occurring except where some complication other than 

 true catarrh of the stomach is present. 



Therapeutics. If the cause has been the eating of some putrid 

 matters, and if you suspect some to be present in the stomach, it 

 is best to give the animal an emetic, such as the hypodermatic 

 injection of apomorphia. Keep the animal on a low diet in the 

 beginning; without food for a day, and then give small quantities 

 of milk or finely cut meat, soup, or beeftea; a stomachic, such as 

 tincture of rhubarb or tincture of nux vomica, in small doses; if 

 there is much vomiting, calicylate of bismuth, carbonate of sodium 

 or magnesium are to be given in small doses several times daily. 

 We must not administer opium unless the vomiting is persistent. 

 ISTever give chloral hydrate, as it irritates the mucous membrane 

 of the stomach. Any complication from the intestines will have 

 to be treated according to the directions given later under "Diseases 

 of the Intestines." In cases of diarrhoea give tificture of Colombo 

 or subnitrate and subgallate of bismuth. If constipation is present, 

 give small doses of calomel, sulphate of magnesium, and tincture 

 rhei comp. 



