LAVAGE 739 



purity of the air may be attained by blowing the air through 

 a -wash bottle containing 2 per cent, carbolic acid solution. 

 Light massage of the udder should follow the inflation. The 

 results of the Kunsel treatment are wonderful. Kunsel 

 reported a series of twenty-two cases of milk fever, without a 

 death, following the use of his method. Similar results have 

 been secured in this country. The rationale of the treatment 

 has yet to be elucidated. Various hypotheses have been 

 advanced, such as the effect of the oxygen on a hypothetical 

 anserobio bacillus in the udder ; the action of the oxygen on 

 the blood and general metabolism in destroying toxic 

 products in the economy ; the action of air-compression in 

 the udder in overcoming congestion in this part, and thus 

 preventing anemia of the central nervous system ; and a pos- 

 sible stimulation of the secretory function of the mammary 

 gland with eliminatioQ of toxins. The fact that injection of 

 milk into the mammary gland has produced a condition simu- 

 lating milk fever appears to augur a local cause of the disease. 



Lavage. 



Lavage is a term applied to washing out the stomach 

 with the stomach tube. This process, while an every-day 

 occurrence in human medicine, has been too long neglected 

 in Veterinary practice. Fortunately, new interest has been 

 awakened in this useful procedure by Phillips, of St. Louis, 

 who has perfected a tube and demonstrated the prac- 

 ticability of its use.* 



The passage of the tube is chiefly of value in acute 

 indigestion of the horse, with gastric flatulence and disten- 

 tion, where pain and danger of rupture of the organ are 

 averted by permitting escape of gas. By further washing 

 out the stomach in such conditions, and in gastritis and 

 engorgement, toxic, fermenting ingesta are immediately 

 removed and the evil results, as tympanites and loca' 

 inflammation of the stomach and of the intestines, are pre- 

 vented. In choking, as by oats, the passage of the tube 

 may afford relief, while in poisoning the washing out of the 

 stomach is the one essential treatment. Gastric indiges- 



*Amer. Vet. Review, May, 1904. 



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