G ASTRO- ENTERITIS AND INFLUENZA. 77 
funds and fifty years’ experience have failed to suggest to the 
managers of the Royal Veterinary College. 
REFLECTIONS ON G ASTRO-ENTERITIS AND 
INFLUENZA. 
By Mr. W. C. Lord, F.R.P.S . , V.S. 11th Lancers. 
To the Editors of “ The Veterinarian .” 
Gentlemen, — I n looking over Mr. Percivall’s Hippopathology, 
vol. ii, I have been struck with the following remark on Gastro- 
Enteritis : — “ One case — one solitary case — is all that is to be 
found in The VETERINARIAN on the subject from our own coun- 
trymen. How is all this 1 Is it really so rare a disease 1 Or have 
we, when it has been present, called it, or rather miscalled it, 
by any other name] — By fever, or influenza, or something else. 
From its mostly occurring in the epidemic form, it was natural 
enough for us to give the disease the name of Influenza.” 
Now, gentlemen, as I have seen many cases of this disease, and 
have always, when called in time (with the exception of one or 
two cases), succeeded in curing it, I will venture to give my views, 
which are very simple when contrasted with D’Arboval’s, on this 
important subject. 
You are, no doubt, aware that, during the spring and fall of the 
year, a very important process is taking place in the constitution ; 
that the horse at both periods is losing his old coat, and getting a 
new one. This, to the general or casual observer, seems a very 
simple affair, but the acute veterinarian will observe that it is 
always accompanied by constitutional disturbance. The appetite 
becomes more or less capricious : it may be defective, or it may 
be voracious, which, I may state, I have often observed, and indi- 
cates morbid action. The temperature of the body is changeable, 
and suffers from chills and heats, which may be of so slight a 
character as to pass unnoticed ; and, indeed, I may say, in the ma- 
jority of cases, you cannot discover them in any other part of the 
body except in the extremities ; and here, in horses that have not 
their legs bandaged, you will always in the spring and autumn 
perceive variableness of temperature — sweating is produced more 
readily on exertion than at other times ; and I have usually re- 
VOL. XIX. M 
