94 



DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE APPARATUS. 



by many authors, but this theory has been discredited by Fried- 

 berger's experiences/ 



4. The disease may also originate from soiled, decomposing, or 

 mouldy alimentary matters ; the remains of the kitchen in a more 

 or less fermented condition, acid or fermented refuse of factories, 

 muddy hay, etc. 



5. Indigestible food, woody plants, green flax, foreign bodies of 

 any kind, sand, and especially gravel ; ingestion of the placenta ; 

 or insufficiently cooked bread may provoke catarrhal disease. 



6. Excess of work, not allowing the animals the necessary rest 

 to perform rumination. We must, however, remark here that oxen 

 which are subject to hard work (by brewers, millers, and farmers) 

 perform rumination during exercise. 



Catarrhs of ^he digestive channels which complicate febrile dis- 

 eases are caused by disturbed secretion, as in the horse. But they 

 are complicated by cessation of rumination — an important etiological 

 factor of gastro-intestinal catarrh. 



Symptoms. 1. Dyspeptic period of acute gastro-intes- 

 TINAL catarrh. Though the animals still consume the food which 

 is given to them, they do not eat it with the same avidity, and fre- 

 quently they do not eat it entirely ; they prefer fodder or green 

 food. They refuse slops, but partake willingly of spring-water. 

 They are depressed and cease to use the tongue to wipe their nos- 

 trils ; they lie down frequently, and remain in a recumbent position 

 for a long time. Rumination is short, lazy, and interrupted. The 

 movements of the paunch are performed with less energy. Defe- 

 cation is retarded ; the excreraentitious matters may be normal or 

 more or less hard. There is no fever, the extremities are warm, the 

 mouth and nose damp and cool, the milk secretion is not sensibly 

 diminished. 



Sometimes this condition disappears rapidly after rest ; at other 

 times it persists for several days. If it lasts for more than four or 

 five days, the true catarrhal condition follows it. 



2. Acute g astro-intestinal catarrh properly so called. 

 This condition may either follow dyspepsia or may appear at the 

 first onset. It is impossible to draw a typical picture of the condi- 

 tion, so that we must limit ourselves to explaining its symptoms 

 briefly in their essential phases. 



1 Friedberger : Miinch. Jahresber., 1880. 



