Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1880-01-30
Gases Of Horse-O

The horse's stomach is too small to
contain q good feed and the gas extri-
Gated from such materials, when diges-
ton is prevented by immediate severe
work after eating, or otherwise, and
where fermentation has set in. Even
COW will die in half an hour from a
paunch, which is capable of holding
about 250 quarts. How much more,
then, may the horse, whose stomach
will hold but from sixteen TO twenty
quarts. The COW can sometimes re-
lieve herself by eructation or vomiting,
or may be promptly cured by punctur-
ing the left flank and letting out the
gas. But the average healthy horse
can neither belch gas nor vomit, and
to puncture his stomach you must first
translix the large intestines, above and
beyond which it lies. Again, medicines
! given to the horse in such circum-
stances are exceedingly uncertain. Even
the healthy stomach of the horse does
not absorb, much less that which is
distended beyond measure with gas.
| Anything, therefore, which is intro
duced into the stomach, must be passed
through into the intestines before it
can enter the circulation. But here
again is the obstacle of an overstretched
and inactive stomach unable to con-
tract on its contents or force them on
into the bowels. Again, the introduce
tion of agents into the stomach still
further distends it, and at first aggra-
Yates the symptoms.
Such case of acute indigestion and
| tympany of the stomach, as might be
expected, is one of the most hopeless
and fatal disorders of the horse. Yet
as delay is usually equal to death, early
ventures at treatment give the only
hope. Give by the mouth one ounce
tincture of ginger, thirty drops oil of
peppermint, one-half ounce aqua
ammonia and one scruple tincture of
nux vomica in a pint of cold water.
The same may be glvenas an injection,
the water being increasedto two quarts.
In the absence of these, give whatever
stimulant comes to hand-a pint OF
whisky, gin or brandy, or one-halt
ounce of pepper, with pint of lime.
water, or even teaspoonful of baking
soda and another of carbolic acid.
Gentle walking exercise may be given,
with active rubbing of the abdomen
with straw wisps, and half an hour after
the medicated injection, injections OF
soap-suds to the amount of four quarts
in each. Six drachms of aloes may
also be given by the mouth. If recov.
cry ensues, the food should be limited
in quantity and of quality easily di.
gested for a week, and ten grains ol
nux vomica and one-half ounce ground
gentian may be given daily for the
same length of time.
In a case of collie arising from full
drink of cold water followed by ar
active run, the prospects are far better
Here the suffering will usually be a.
once relieved by stimulant and ano
dyne, and as the disturbance is mainly
in the intestines, this may be intro
dured into the stomach with hope o.
its speedily passing through and being
absorbed; one-half ounce tincture o
ginger and one ounce laudanum viii
usually suffice. Should there be no re
lief in half an hour it may be repeated
as an injection, and at the same time {
dose of laxative medicine may be giver
by the mouth. Five drachms aloes anC
one drachm powdered gentian mad,
into ball with sirup will usually suf
fee, and relief may be calculated on il
three hours at the utmost. Salt anC
water, about which one correspondent
asks, is very unsatisfactory dose, being
irritating to the mucuous membran,
when too concentrated, and not at al
calculated to carry off irritating ma
terials from the stomach and bowels
Its main value is in retarding fermen
tation in the contents, but this is bette,
effected by saleraturs, ammonia, hypo
sulphite of soda. or carbolic acid
Prot. Jas. La,O, in ~ Y. Tribune.