20 



DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE APPARATUS 



We sometimes find small vesicles upon the lips, cheeks, and 

 tongue, leaving catarrhal erosions after their rupture, tumefaction 

 of the mucous glands, and obstruction of the excretory duct of 

 these glands, appearing in small grayish or reddish-gray pustules, 

 surrounded by a red zone, which may ulcerate ; all this is little 

 understood. Weber has noticed the appearance of numerous 

 small vesicles with serous contents, in stomatitis of the horse. 

 (Was it not a case of aphthous fever?) 



We have seen ulceration of the glands in the course of glanders 

 and in a rickety horse ; Mobius has observed it after the feeding 

 of clover. These alterations have erroneously been called fol- 

 licular stomatitis by some practitioners. 



The epiornitic affection known as ^' pip in our poultry yards, 

 though it is a disease especially of the respiratory organs, is often 

 accompanied by a catarrhal inflammation of the mouth (Ziirn and 

 others). The continual half- opened condition of the bill leads to 

 drying of the tongue, the horny covering of which becomes opaque 

 and hard, which may be mistaken for a pathological membrane. 



Treatment. The cause of the trouble must first be removed, 

 then light solutions of carbonate of soda or of sea-salt may be used, 

 in order to dissolve the mucus. A mouth- wash made of 1 quart of 

 water, -^-^ of a quart of vinegar, and a spoonful of sea-salt is an old 

 and very popular remedy. Gargling with a solution of 1-3 per 

 100 of boric acid is very efficient. A solution of 1-4 per 100 of 

 chloride of potassium is also very good, but deglutition of the 

 liquid must be avoided, for in small animals this drug might 

 provoke a dangerous bleeding. 



Solutions of permanganate of potash, much used lately, are not 

 advisable : their disinfecting action is very weak and their taste 

 •extremely disagreeable. 



Any astringent sufficiently diluted may be useful, but in most 

 cases fresh and clean spring-water alone will hasten a cure. In 

 very serious cases a 1 : 100 solution of carbolic acid can be used. 



2. Aphthous Stomatitis (Vesicular) : Aphthae of the Mucous 

 Membrane of the Mouth. 



The term " aphthae has only acquired a definite meaning since 

 the researches of Bohn. Before these were made the term wa^ used 



