THE COW IN HEALTH AND DISEASE 73 



spoonful of this mixture to be given in a half-pint 

 of water three times each day. 



Dyspepsia. 



Dyspepsia is also known as indigestion or gas- 

 tro-intestinal catarrh. It may be the result of a 

 varied and widely different set of conditions — 

 irritant or spoiled foods, foods that are binding 

 in nature, thus hindering the secretion of diges- 

 tive fluids and preventing the absorption of the 

 nutritive elements of the food that is eaten ; feed 

 that is too fibrous and that may contain too much 

 indigestible matter, or a feed that is used over 

 too long a period of time and in too large quanti- 

 ties. Lack of exercise will also predispose to 

 this condition. 



The animal has an irregular appetite, is list- 

 less and the eyes seem sunken. Constipation and 

 diarrhoea alternate and the manure that is passed 

 is usually dark and foul-smelling and in small 

 quantities only. Occasionally the animal may be 

 heard to grunt and chews the cud only at inter- 

 vals. The passage of manure almost ceases but 

 small quantities of mucus are passed. The ears 

 and the base of the horns are alternately hot and 

 cold, and the animal lies down most of the time. 

 She may carry a slight temperature. The ani- 

 mal gradually gets weaker and loses flesh rap- 

 idly; finally the milk flow has entirely ceased 

 and the cow reels and staggers when she attempts 

 to walk. In many cases a brain disturbance is 

 noticed at about this time, due no doubt to the 



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