174 DISEASE IN WILD MAMMALS AND BIRDS 
The Stomach. 
Impaction of the mammalian stomach is a diagnosis 
made but once in our records, an Indian Antelope {Anti- 
lope cervicapra), and this is viewed with suspicion. The 
rumen was undoubtedly tightly packed, being distended to 
its fullest capacity with rather dry and not properly 
softened grain. However, postmortem changes had 
advanced and therefore observations in the whole body 
were not dependable. The bulk of food which can be 
accommodated by the rumen is very large, and had this 
not been diy and firm the condition might not have been 
interpreted so seriously. Many animals come to autopsy 
with a well filled, indeed even with a well packed stomach, 
but there is usually sufiicient reason for this or there is 
distinct pathology to account for death. 
All this of course implies a stomach of normal or 
approximately normal dimensions since distention 
beyond this, or dilatation of the stomach, is more definite. 
In veterinary medicine, gastric t^inpanites (rumen alone 
or all stomachs, or the simple stomach) is ascribed to 
food that ferments easily when taken in excess or in the 
presence of defective motor power, to constrictions by 
scars and to obstructive tumors ; excessive feeding is 
sometimes mentioned but given a subordinate role. Our 
records throw very little light upon the subject since only 
five cases were obser^^ed. Four of these five seem to be 
due to acute fermentation independent of gross physical 
obstruction, while one, a Cape Hunting Dog {Lycaon 
pictus) showed an old chronic ulcerative gastritis with 
both healed and active ulcers distorting the pyloric end of 
the organ. Three of the first mentioned four were 
monkeys and one was an ocelot. The stomach of the 
voracious monkey is at time of dissection usually well 
filled, but in these cases there seems no doubt that gas and 
excess fluid had distended the cavity enormously, in one 
instance apparently assisting in acute cardiac dilatation. 
