GASTRO ENTERITIS. 
131 
prepared for the continuance of the task, was put to much harder 
work than he had been accustomed to. A state of febrile disturb- 
ance ensues, either in consequence of this, or aggravated by it. 
It is accompanied, at first, by little or no local inflammation. It, 
possibly, was not attacked with sufficient energy at first; but, 
however that may be, local determination soon ensues, either taking 
the usual course of complicated fever, or, as it would seem here, 
first involving those parts in which a predisposition to inflamma- 
tion had been produced. 
The membrane of the mouth, unused to the long and violent 
pressure of the bit, is first affected. Glossitis appears ; there are 
vesications along, or under, or on the tongue. The larynx speedily 
sympathizes, and the lungs had been far more hardly worked than 
they had been accustomed to, next, or simultaneously suffer ; or 
there had been latent inflammation set up in them before, and 
which only required this attack on other organs to be developed. 
The mucous membrane of the intestines shares in the inflammation. 
The colon and the caecum, the viscera in the horse first or chiefly 
affected, become ulcerated. G astro-enteritis, combined with fever 
of a typhoid character is set up, and death ensues. 
What should have been done 1 Venesection should have been 
had recourse to, with the finger on the pulse, and the blood suffered 
to flow until a constitutional impression had been made. A mild 
aperient was administered. Perhaps not more than one was re- 
quired. The character of the medicine, however, whether aperient 
or sedative, or, by and by, tonic, must be regulated by the changing 
character of the disease. Attention to the local disease is impera- 
tive. The vesicated portions of the tongue — vesication will pre- 
cede the ulceration by two or three days, or more — should be 
deeply lanced, and antiseptics — a solution of the chloride of lime, 
the best — should be freely applied to the mouth. Setons or blis- 
ters should be applied to the throat, attention being at the same 
time paid to every indication of local disease. The diet should be 
mashes, gruel, and every thing simple and unirritating. No exci- 
tant — no cordial can be admitted in the early stage of the disease ; 
but the cautious use of them will often be indicated at no very 
distant period. 
The second case is from one of “ the old school.” Were it not 
