158 



BISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE APPARATUS. 



and strange positions ; they are often found in the dog's sitting 

 attitude, undoubtedly because this position decreases the pressure 

 exercised upon the diaphragm and the lungs by the distended 

 stomach. We notice eructations, nauseas, regurgitations, and even 

 vomitings ; these are so many phenomena characteristic of over- 

 loading. The disease ends almost always by rupture of the 

 stomach or diaphragm — accidents which are announced by the 

 cessation of the pain and by general symptoms of collapse. 



Diagnosis. The diagnosis is sometimes difficult. To a great 

 extent we should be guided especially by the fact of the ingestion 

 of a considerable quantity of food ; for vomiting, the most im- 

 portant symptom of the overloading of the stomach, may be pro- 

 voked by other pathological conditions of that organ and of the 

 intestine. These considerations apply equally to the diagnosis of 

 rupture of the stomach and of the diaphragm. 



Prognosis. The prognosis is grave. The horse does not pos- 

 sess the faculty of vomiting, and the unusual movements performed 

 by the patients may at any moment terminate in rupture of the 

 stomach or diaphragm. 



Treatment. The drastic purgatives are powerless against abso- 

 lute overloading. Eserine causes contractions of the gastric walls ; 

 but in using it we may provoke rupture of this organ. The 

 cleansing of the stomach by means of the sound has been studiously 

 experimented with by Damman : the agitation of the animals i& 

 found to render this method impracticable. We are therefore 

 limited to the use of morphine injections in order to counteract the 

 accidents which may result from ungovernable movements, and 

 also to facilitate the evacuation of the stomach contents through 

 the pylorus; and, in addition, to cleansing the intestine with injec- 

 tions and infusions. 



Addenda. Among the accidents liable to occur in the course 

 of colics by overloading of the stomach, vomiting and rupture of 

 that organ or of the diaphragm deserve particular mention. 



1. Vomiting, This is due to the considerable distention of the 

 gastric walls and to paralysis of the cardiac orifice. When it hap- 

 pens the symptoms observed are as follows : 



The muscles of the abdomen and of the neck and shoulders are 

 the seat of convulsive contractions, the lowered head is kept near 

 the chest ; at the same time there is a discharge by the nose and 

 mouth of a yellowish-green spumous liquid, of chymous odor, and 



