ACUTE GASTRO-INTESTINAL CATARRH IN THE HORSE. 67 



tions defined under the names of indigestion, overloading oj the 

 stomachy gastric trouble, gastric condition, gastric fever, etc. In 

 doing this, we follow an old arrangement which obtains on account 

 of the difficulty of recognizing in the horse the exact seat and 

 degree of intensity of the diseases of the stomach and intestine. 

 Acute catarrh may undoubtedly affect the stomach and intestine 

 separately, and may even extend over a more or less restricted por- 

 tion of the latter ; besides, there are numerous intermediary degrees 

 between the hyperemic condition of the mucous membrane during 

 digestion and its intense catarrhal state. But in the horse, where 

 vomiting is not observed as a characteristic symptom of gastritis, 

 or where diarrhea is often absent on account of the favorable influ- 

 ence of the great length of the digestive tract, it is hardly possible 

 to distinguish catarrhal inflammation of the stomach from that of 

 the intestine. However, when it is recognized that these aflections 

 are mostly concomitant and produced by the same causes, this weak 

 point of the veterinarian's diagnosis is not so important as it at 

 first appears. 



Diagnostic signs which could establish the degree of intensity of 

 the aflection are also wanting. Mild cases were formerly desig- 

 nated dyspepsia. Dyspepsia comprised all aflfections of the diges- 

 tive apparatus not accompanied by any appreciable alteration of 

 the mucous membrane of the stomach, and consisting essentially of 

 physiological conditions. It is more than probable that these dys- 

 pepsias are found in our domestic animals, especially in conval- 

 escent, old, or anemic subjects ; but whilst they may be suspected, 

 it is impossible to demonstrate their existence. It is also very 

 difficult to tell where dyspepsia ends and catarrh begins, for dys- 

 pepsia very frequently terminates in catarrh. For these reasons 

 we do not consider it necessary to regard dyspepsia as a patho- 

 logical entity. 



In human medicine we formerly distinguished several varieties 

 of dyspepsia. At one time digestive troubles produced by the in- 

 gestion of excessive quantities of alimentary matter, or of food of 

 an improper composition (dyspepsia ah ingestis) were in question, 

 at another time dyspepsia was due to the quantitative or qualitative 

 modification of the normal gastric juice. The anomalies of quan- 

 tity consisted of an insufficient secretion of the gastric juice, which 

 might be also poor in its active principles ; they were found in 

 anemia, hydremia, in " stupefaction of the gastric nerves, in old 



