316 
E. H. SHEPARD. 
ACUTE INDIGESTION. 
By E. H. Shepard, V. S., Clevedand, O. 
A Paper read before the Joint Session of the Ohio and Michigan \ . M. Associations, 
July 12th. 
In coming before yon to-day with a subject so common,— 
one that has given ns all an opportunity for thought and expe¬ 
rience, and one that with some of us at least is almost an every¬ 
day thought, till we become, as it were, insensible to either its 
causes, treatment or results. I feel that the subject is almost, 
perhaps, too insignificant to be worthy of the valuable time of 
this joint meeting,—passing away so quickly and pleasantly ; 
still, these subjects which are a part of our every-day work, as 
it were, become too common. We settle after a little time into 
a common rut and unless the case afflicted is of more value than 
usual, we administer the usual dope and accept the results as 
inevitable, till our patrons often think ns heedless, sometimes 
careless, about what is so much to them. 
If yon will patiently follow me a few moments—for I prom¬ 
ise not to unnecessarily weary you—I will hastily offer a few 
thoughts on this acute trouble,—never too easy to subdue,—but, 
on the contrary, often keeping the practitioner, as well as the 
owner, on the anxious seat for many hours.* 
When I say “acute indigestion,” I mean quick fermentation 
of the food in the horse’s stomach, with all its customary com¬ 
plications, for it is seldom we see a case of pure indigestion of 
the stomach unaccompanied by bowel complications. 
Acute indigestion should be applied to those cases originat- 
ino- in the stomach, and all treatment should be first to reach 
and quell the cause of the trouble; at the same time the already 
bad effects should be combated. 
There is no doubt in my mind but what food grown in dif¬ 
ferent districts, not cured properly, and fed in different ways 
and under different circumstances (often irrationally); water not 
pure, or allowed to be taken too cold, and in large quantities, 
are a few of the direct causes of this trouble, while, perhaps, 
