319 
DIARRHOEAS OR “ SCOURS ” OF NURSLINGS. 
these last are but moderately efficient in sucklings, food too 
rich in fats, and that have not undergone proper changes in 
the stomach, prove too onerous for duodenal digestion, and 
secure the same pernicious effect. Indeed, it is a general ob¬ 
servation of physiologists that derangements of nurslinghood 
more frequently arise from lack of sufficient water in the sto¬ 
mach (and consequently lack of pepsin, and hydrochloric and 
lactic acids) than from any other cause ; and lactic acid de¬ 
rived from milk sugar is the essential requirement for the first 
stage of digestion. 
When done with the food, the stomach expels into the du¬ 
odenum the residue, viz., all starch that has not been converted 
into sugar, any cellulose that may be present, all parapeptones 
and dyspeptones resulting from proteinates, all fats, and some 
proportion, perhaps, of salts. These are now brought in con¬ 
tact with, first the biliary secretion, and second, the secretion 
of the pancreas. The remainder of the starch is thus con¬ 
verted into sugar, the fat is further emulsified that it may be 
absorbed by the intestinal villi, and the remaining albumen 
changed into soluble material. The two latter effects are 
never observed on zootomic examination of sucklings that 
have succumbed to diarrhoea, hence it is evident that this lack 
of digestion is a prime factor in such conditions, and further, 
that the pancreas in young animals—in whom it is to a cer¬ 
tain extent rudimentary—cannot be depended upon for the 
performance of its wonted function during an attack of 
scours. 
The pancreas is functional and active only when the intes¬ 
tinal fluids are alkaline, and this alkaline reaction depends 
upon the presence of sodium phosphide; consequently, when 
through lack of soda the fluid becomes acid, the result is a 
diarrhoea that interferes with, or altogether arrests, the pro¬ 
cesses that tend to the formation of blood, bone and muscle, 
and general exhaustion follows more or less rapidly in accord¬ 
ance with the previous condition of the creature. Lambs 
naturally succumb quicker under such circumstances than 
calves and colts, owing to finer nervous organization, and 
consequent lack of nerve tone. 
