DISEASES AND TREATMENT OF THE HORSE 143 
quantities, but often. Do not be misled by this symptom, as 
it is caused by the swollen stomach and bowels pressing on 
the bladder. 
It is a very important matter to become very familiar 
with the causes, symptoms and treatment of this disease, as 
it is so frequently met with. 
2. Rupture of the Stomach. 
This is generally met with during a severe attack of 
acute indigestion. 
Causes. — A horse suffering from acute indigestion will, 
because of the pain, sometimes throw himself down on his 
side. The stomach being so distended or swollen with gas is 
unable to resist the sudden jolt of falling. It consequently 
breaks open or becomes ruptured. 
Symptoms. — The animal suddenly becomes very bad — 
much worse than before. The pulse beats faster but weaker. 
The whole body soon becomes a mass of perspiration. The 
bowels and stomach become swollen ; the legs, ears and nose 
l)egin to get cold. These symptoms are alarming and indicate 
approaching death. 
Treatment. — A rupture of the stomach proves fatal in a 
very short time, consequently there is no treatment that will 
effect a cure. All that can be done is to make the patient as 
comfortable as possible and relieve the pain by giving an 
ounce of laudanum in a pint of luke-warm water. 
3. Gastrites or Inflammation of the Stomach. 
This is not a very common disease and is very rarely 
met with among horses. 
Causes. — The giving of arsenic or other irritating medi- 
cines, the drinking of brine and feeding upon poisonous 
weeds or branches and leaves of the yew tree are among the 
more common causes. 
Symptoms. — A constant desire to lie down and get up 
again, accompanied by a tendency to sweat freely, indicates 
severe pain. In the first stages, the pulse is high and wiry 
but gradually becomes weaker as the disease progresses. 
Many of the symptoms, noticeable during an attack of inflam- 
■• mation of the stomach, are very similar to those of inflamma- 
tion of the bowels which occasionally accompanies it. 
Inflammation of the stomach, however, is not nearly so fatal. 
Treatment. — In order to make the treatment as effective 
as possible it is very important to ascertain the cause, Thi§ 
