ULCERS OF THE STOMACH AND INTESTINE. 



189 



chronic tympanites, constipation, disturbances of nutrition, and 

 cachexia, etc. Sometimes, however, we observe special symptoms, 

 which permit us to diagnosticate or at least to suspect an ulcer. 

 These are : repeated vomitings, colics, hematemesis, and bloody 

 excrements. In the horse we observe principally nutritive changes, 

 emaciation, periodic colics appearing some time after meals (Siedatn- 

 grotzky, Munich), and even vomiting of blood (Gilis). Weiskopf 

 has several times seen in this animal perforation of the stomach 

 caused by gastric ulcers. In the ox Gotteswinter recognized ulcer 

 of the stomach through anemic symptoms, also through gastric 

 troubles and the expulsion of black excrements resembling tar. 

 The autopsy confirmed his diagnosis. 



The duration of the disease is somewhat long. While recovery 

 may be possible, the prognosis of a gastric ulcer is, in general, very 

 grave. Its ordinary termination is death, which happens either as 

 the result of hemorrhage, or peritonitis consecutive to perforation 

 of the stomach or intestine, or through weakness and marasmus. 



Differential diagnosis. The symptoms determined by ulcers 

 of the stomach and intestine are often attributed to chronic gastro- 

 intestinal catarrh — an error which is very excusable if we think 

 of the close relations existing between these affections and the 

 similarity of their manifestations. In the ox, even when ulcers of 

 the abomasum are accompanied by hemorrhages and marked by 

 vomiting and the expulsion of bloody excrements, it is not always 

 possible to distinguish them from the morbid condition which is 

 the result of fixation of a foreign body in the walls of the stomach. 

 We may, however, be guided by the symptoms furnished by ex- 

 ploration of the region of the reticulum : the sensibility of this 

 portion, which is increased when a foreign body is fixed in the 

 abdominal walls, is normal in cases of ulcer of the stomach. 



Treatment. The treatment is essentially dietetic. The gastric 

 and intestinal ulcerations must be freed from all irritations which 

 might be produced by coarse and indigestible food. Zippelius 

 recommends us to feed the oxen on liquid or cooked food, and avoid 

 at the same time all those fermenting easily, such as brewery waste, 

 for instance. The horses must be kept on flour and bran slops ; 

 the dog should be given milk, cooked eggs, and hacked meat. The 

 therapeutic agent deserving preference is artificial Carlsbad salt : 

 it neutralizes part of the acidity of the gastric juice, it also disin- 

 fects the stomach and assists the passage of ingested matters from 



