30 
CONSULTATIONS. 
seems not to affect the animal’s appetite until it is far advanced; 
and is found, on dissection after death, to consist of a complete 
stoppage in the gut by a ball of undigested food, firmly packed 
very low in the gut, from which it has been once or twice re- 
moved by the hand. The constipation which is produced re- 
sists the strongest laxatives, and the animal falls off rapidly, 
and becomes mad with pain before she dies. I should be very 
glad if you would give me any information about the origin of 
the complaint, or its mode of treatment, that I may be able to 
relieve those who are suffering from it. 
Reply. 
The disease is, generally speaking, rather a singular one ; 
and you surprise me a little by stating that it is so common in 
your neighbourhood. Horses are much subject to “dung balls'’ 
or more commonly, “ dust balls but we have rarely met with 
the disease in cattle. In them “ hair balls,” however, are not 
unfrequently found, giving rise to the same kind of fatal obstruc- 
tion of the bowels as that described. These balls are formed of 
the hair which they lick off either from themselves or their neigh- 
bours, and which becomes agglutinated together round some 
nucleus by the mucus and other matters which are met with in 
the intestines. They cannot be dissolved by any medicine 
which the stomachs and bowels could bear, and therefore can 
only be removed by the hand, or by repeated doses of purgative 
medicine, such as one pound of linseed oil with thirty drops of 
croton oil, and which does sometimes succeed in forcing the ball 
along. The dose may be repeated every twelve hours, and the 
quantity of croton may, by degrees, be doubled. Oatmeal gruel, 
well boiled* should be given frequently to drink, and if they do 
not take it freely, it should be forced upon them with a horn or 
bottle. Clysters should also be given frequently, and may vary 
in their nature; first gruel may be tried, or soap and warm 
water; then one ounce of tobacco infused in a gallon of boiling 
water, orcommon oil, or gruel, may be administered. Whichever 
is used, it should be frequently repeated. The whole surface of 
the belly should be frequently bathed with hoi water ; and it 
may be advisable to bleed, and to repeat the bleeding. 
It is difficult to say what is the cause of the disease ; but I do 
not think any other treatment likely to answer better, whatever 
may be the cause. A slight inspection would at once shew if 
it is what I have already stated ; but if it is merely undigested 
food, then it must arise from the kind of food upon which the 
animals have been living ; and we have found that in some cases, 
