110 



DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE APPARATUS. 



sufficient to evacuate the gaseous contents of the rumen. Rychner 

 considers this procedure the safest ; it is also the easiest and the 

 least expensive, and, we may add, the least dangerous of all. The 

 renewal of the peristaltic movements can be distinctly felt under 

 the hand, and eructations are soon produced. The existing centrifu- 

 gal pressure upon the walls of the rumen expels all the blood from 

 it, and consequently paralyzes the muscular fibres : in compressing 

 a portion of the wall of the rumen, the blood rushes there, the 

 movements reappear, are communicated to the neighboring parts, 

 and soon the evacuation of gas takes place. Prolonged massage of 

 the left flank or of the whole abdominal wall may empty the rumen 

 entirely. Blows with the hand upon the left flank (Ferrari), the 

 spiral ligature of the belly (Zwickel), cold water thrown upon the 

 left flank, cold compresses, etc., act in a similar manner ; but mas- 

 sage performed with both hands will always remain the simplest 

 and most efficient means. 



A large number of therapeutic agents have been recognized^ 

 Their value is generally inferior to that of mechanical means ; they 

 answer only in the cases where the latter are perfectly unsuccessful. 

 Moreover, they have serious inconveniences : the water that ordi- 

 narily serves as the excipient favors fermentations, the liquid may 

 enter the wrong way and pass into the trachea, and, above all, they 

 prevent the use of the meat when, in case of unsuccessful treat- 

 ment, the animals are slaughtered. 



These therapeutic agents are sometimes stimulants, sometimes 

 emetics, or absorbents, or antiferments. The most advisable is 

 brandy (J or J of a litre in double the quantity of cold water) or 

 tincture of hellebore (10 to 20 grammes) mixed with brandy. The 

 carminatives : infusions or decoctions of cumin seed, fennel seed, 

 chamomile, valerian, aniseed, ginger, etc., have a less efficient in- 

 fluence. 



Essence of turpentine (50 to 200 grammes) given well diluted 

 in water, sometimes produces a relatively favorable action ; but it 

 is often insufficient. Asafoetida, ether, kerosene, camphor, etc., 

 must be discarded entirely. 



The absorbents are only of very doubtful value. Ammonia (10 

 to 30 grammes administered in thirty to fifty times as much water, 

 at intervals of half an hour to two hours) has certainly done more 

 harm than good ; it has produced most of the mishaps relative to 

 the wrong route taken by the liquids. This remedy, indeed, is 



