DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS 305 



It is described in the next section. Chronic indigestion affects 

 either the stomach or bowels or both of these organs. It occurs 

 as a catarrhal inflammation of the mucous lining. 



Causes. — -When the liver fails to perform its work in disposing 

 of the toxic products of digestion, or excessive gas formation 

 occurs from the action of the bacterial flora on the ingesta, in- 

 digestion results. Both of these conditions are referable to 

 errors in feeding, poor mastication of the food, or constitutional 

 weakness. 



Symptoms. — The symptoms of chronic indigestion are loss 

 in condition, depraved appetite, bloating, flatulence, mucus- 

 coated feces. The skin is dry, lacks its usual gloss, and the 

 animal becomes "hidebound," that is the hair is long, coarse and 

 does not shed when it should. Even the horn of the hoofs gets 

 shelly and brittle from the general inanition. 



Treatment. — In many cases all the treatment necessary is the 

 removal of the operating causes and regulation of the ration. 

 The condition of the teeth should be carefully examined, and 

 dental attention given if needed. A digestive tonic, composed 

 of Glauber's salts, 22 parts; baking soda, 18 parts; common salt, 

 9 parts, is good to stimulate the appetite and aid digestion. The 

 dose is a tablespoonful on the feed twice daily. Fowler's solu- 

 tion of arsenic is one of the best tonics for horses affected with 

 chronic indigestion. It may be given in ounce doses three times 

 a day. 



COLIC 



Colic is the most frequent and fatal disease of horses. As 

 ordinarily used, the term colic is very inclusive and refers to any 

 condition in which the animal shows abdominal pain. Ob- 

 viously, then, colic would include a great many painful conditions 

 of organs situated in the abdominal cavity other than the stomach 

 and bowels. When the pain originates from these organs true 

 colic or acute indigestion is said to exist. When painful dis- 

 eases occur in the bladder, kidneys, or any other abdominal organ 

 except the stomach and bowels, the condition is termed false 

 colic. We are concerned only with true colic, which may be of 

 two forms, viz., spasmodic colic or flatulent colic. 



Causes.— All horses are subject to colic from the relatively 

 small size of the stomach and the complicated arrangement of the 

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