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DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE APPARATUS, 



when the first milk (colostrum) is not used, the result of which will 

 be constipation and a decomposition of the contents of the stomach, 

 the products of which irritate the mucous membrane. 



II. Among the circumstances capable of determiniug catarrh in 

 weaned animals^ we must specially point out : 



1. Weaning when taking place under unfavorable conditions - 

 alimentation with spoiled food or coarse forage, hard to digest, and 

 with straw chopped too fine, etc. 



2. The substitutes for milk, particularly those containing much 

 starch. They act by producing acid fermentations (acetic, lactic, 

 or butyric), which provoke irritation of the mucous membrane. 



3. We observe it in cold and damp weather, especially when the 

 animals go to pasture, and in the spring and fall ; also from cold 

 drinks. 



4. The replacement and eruption of teeth, during which period the 

 young chew and swallow the greatest variety of objects (Hamm). 



5. Verminous affections of the digestive canal, mainly those due 

 to the twisted Strongylus (verminous gastritis of the lamb), or also 

 Tœnia (in the same animal). 



Finally, the development of the disease is favored by general 

 predisposing causes : hereditary weakness of the digestive appa- 

 ratus, affections of the mesenteric ganglion, etc., and also by ex- 

 treme sensibility of the digestive organs in very young animals. 



Pathological anatomy. The alterations found at the autopsy 

 are nearly the same as those of gastro-intestinal catarrh in adults, 

 and in cases where the morbid process has been very intense, the 

 alterations are often found far from corresponding with the symp- 

 toms observed during life. In sucklings the stomach contains 

 voluminous and dense clots of casein (the normal coagulation of the 

 milk has often been taken for a pathological alteration) ; in weaned 

 animals we find coarse alimentary matters which are more or less 

 impacted. The mucous membrane of the stomach and intestine 

 presents variable alterations, such as redness, tumefaction, follicular 

 catarrh, ulcerations (in acute form) ; atrophy, thickening, pigmen- 

 tation, etc. (in the chronic form) ; the mesenteric ganglions are 

 ordinarily tumefied. The animals are emaciated and show all the 

 signs of anemia and hydremia. 



Symptoms. The manifestations of the initial period vary with 

 the causes of the disease. Sometimes they appear suddenly; at 

 other times they are outlined gradually, and do not attract attention 



