194 DISEASES OF THE STOMACH AND INTESTINES. 
it, and permits an accumulation to an enormous extent. The 
respiratory function becomes gradually more and more 
difficult, from the interference with the action of the 
diaphragm, and ultimately the animal, if notrelieved, dies from 
asphyxia. Occasionally the elimination of gas is so rapid that 
death has occurred before aid can be rendered • this, however, 
is not a common circumstance. 
Tympanitis in the horse generally extends to the intes¬ 
tines. Indeed, the colon in its larger portion is more 
usually affected than the stomach. This latter viscus, how¬ 
ever, is not exempt, as a recent dissection proved in the case 
of a horse that had been for years a “ wind-sucker.” The 
animal died from an acute attack of intestinal inflammation, 
and during the post-mortem examination, the stomach was 
found at least twice its proper size, and as thin in its coats as 
an inflated bladder. The same condition extended to the 
oesophagus, to about half its length. No obstruction existed, 
nor did either the stomach or oesophagus manifest the least 
tendency to return to their ordinary dimensions after being 
kept for days. The function of the muscular fibre seemed to 
be altogether lost; affording a remarkable instance of the 
effects of a constantly acting distending force. 
Under the gradually applied force exerted by the gas, it is 
most reasonable to suppose that muscular irritability will 
become impaired ; and hence both the stomach and the intes¬ 
tines lose the power to assist in the expulsion of their gaseous 
contents. A sudden distension, we are aware, acts as a 
stimulus to muscle, and excites contraction ; the contrary is 
true of a force gradually applied and continued for a con¬ 
siderable time. In practice we have often noticed than an 
acute case of tympanitis—one that threatened serious conse¬ 
quences from the rapidity and degree of the distension—has 
been immediately relieved by the exhibition of a drench, 
whose principal effect apparently was to open the communi¬ 
cation between the stomach and its outlets, and thus permit 
the escape of the gas into the intestines and up the 
oesophagus, the contraction of the muscular walls of the 
stomach assisting the process with energy. In other 
instances, comparatively slight distension has occurred, and 
proved exceedingly annoying, and in spite of surgical and 
medical treatment has continued for days. 
When properly directed, the treatment of tympanitis may 
be considered to be uniformly successful. The decomposi¬ 
tion of the gas will hardly, we fancy, be the principal object 
of our remedies. Indeed a large volume of carbonic acid, 
sulphuretted and phosphuretted hydrogen, with other pro- 
