194 DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE APPARATUS. 



monom, purulent, hemorrhagie, croupous, diphtheritic, and caseous 

 gastro-enteritis, etc. In its most benign form, gastro-enteritis is 

 confounded with gastro-intestinal catarrh. 



An etiological division would be the most rational ; we may 

 describe a simple gastro-enteritis, produced by thermo-mechanical 

 irritations ; then the toxic and infectious (dysentery), embolic, tuber- 

 culous, and mycotic (due to fungi), etc. The division into diffuse, 

 circumscribed, sporadic, and infectious, as also into acute and chronic 

 gastro-enteritis, is by far too general. 



From a clinical point of view it is best to be satisfied with a 

 classification based upon the degree of intensity and the nature or 

 etiology of the affection. Consequently, we adopt the following 

 division : 



1. Simple gastro-intestinal catarrh (non-toxic) of the different 

 domestic animals ; 



2. Croupous gastro-enteritis of the ox ; 



3. Mycotic or infectious gastro-enteritis ; 



4. Toxic gastro-enteritis. 



Caseous gastro-enteritis of the pig will be treated in the article 

 on Tuberculosis, and dysentery will be placed among the infectious 

 diseases under the name of infectious enteritis. This classification 

 seems to us the most logical and also the most interesting, scientifi- 

 cally as well as practically. 



Simple Gastro-Enteritis. 



Etiology. The causes of simple, ordinary, non-toxic gastro- 

 enteritis are identical with those of acute gastro-intestinal catarrh, 

 only they act more intensely. Among these causes we must espe- 

 cially mention the action of cold in all its forms, sudden colds when 

 the body is in a perspiring condition, the ingestion of very cold 

 water, of frosted or frost-covered fodder, etc. ; also burns of the 

 stomach through very hot drinks or infusions, and also hot milk, 

 in calves (Read) ; irritating alimentary matters, foreign bodies, 

 and intestinal worms [Spiroptera megastoma in the horse, Spiroptera 

 sanguinolenta in the dog, Spiroptera strongylina in the pig, etc. 

 The Ascari found in the fodder have also been considered as a 

 cause by quite a number of authors, but through error without 

 doubt, for they are found in all the different kinds of hay. Simple 

 gastro-enteritis is sometimes a complication of certain colics. 



Pathological anatomy. The alterations of gastro-enteritis 



