THE VETERINARIAN.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 762, 8 October 1886, Page 19

THE VETERINARIAN.

DISEASES OF THE (ESOPHAGUS AND STOMACH. In the last article the accident of choking was described as it ordinarily occurs from the impactment of some foreign body in the pharynx or some part of the oesophagus—an accident which may happen quite irrespective of any disease in the structures of those organs. Sometimes choking is a Jesuit of structural derangements, which leads to the retention of the masticated food, and in such instances the occurrence is frequent; iu fact, the presence of disease in the oesophagus is generally suspected on account of the animal being frequently choked. The diseases which are found affecting the cesopliagean canal are dilatation, stricture, and tumours on the lining membrane. Dilatation may be the consequence of choking at some prior period, or of injury infl cted at the time in the endeavor to relieve the animal. When tbe probang is used, or a rough substitute for it—as a strong rope, for instance—severe injury may be inflicted by a careless operator without anyone suspecting it, and one consequence of the inflammation which will be induced may be the thickening of some part o£ the walls of the canal, eaueing stricture. The partial in erruption to the passage of food . through tbe smaller opening, which causes an accumulation in the portion immediately above the stricture, and the constant pressure, will in time cause that portion to be dilated. This dilatation and stricture usually exist together.

Another causa of stricture in the oesophagus is contra Jtioa of tbe muscular coat of the tube* after the operation of cutting into the oesophagus to remove an impacted body which cannot bo dislodged by any ether method. The operation of oesophagotomy, os it is called, is not difficult or dangerous in the hands of a skilled operator, but in the healing process there is often a good deal of fibrinous matter deposited, which diminishes the calibre of the canal, and renders the frequent attacks of choking inevitable, unless the greatest care ia taken in the preparation of the food. Oats should never be given alone, as they are, when half masticated and mixed with saliva, very likely to collect just above the constriction, and form a firm mass. Bran and a little chaff should be given with each feed, which should always be wetted, and it is absolutely necessary that the animal should always have water placed within reach while feeding.

Morbid growths in tho oesophagus are generally of a warty character. Small clusters of tumors bang from the lining membrane, and sometimes the deposits are found extending down the tube for a considerable distance. The tumors are generally non-malignant, and are dangerous only on account of the obstruction which they cause to the passage of food. °

Thi frequent occurrence of partial choking from temporary impactment of food is the only symptom which indicates the presence of morbid growths in the oesophagus. Indeed, accurate diagnosis is impossible. The common occurrence of choking only shows that there is some obstruction ; but whether it depends on constriction or dilatation of t)ie canal, or on the existence of morbid growths in the lining membrane, cannot be determined during the life of the animal ; nor is it a matter of much consequence, as no measures can bo adopted which are likely to effect a cure, or even to ameliorate the disease, and for all animals, excepting the horse, the ’obvious course is to prepare them for the butcher as soon as the symptoms suggest the probability of structural disease ~ existing ni tho oesophagus. °

Tympanitis (Doyen).— ln many di-eases which affect cattle, the rumen becomes distended with gas as the result of sympathetic derangement ; but the same thing occurs from causes which ure directly confined to tho digestive organs. The consumption of a large quantity of green food is a common cause of hoven, and any interruption in the digestive process is certain to lead to the extrication of a gas, whioh accumulates so rapidly that the pressure closes the opening into the viscus, and thus the escape of the gas is prevented. Distention of the rumen is dangerous to the animal s life, because tho space which the enlarged organ occupies is so considerable that all the movable,abdominal organs are interfered with, aud the contraction of the diaphragm is prevented by the weight of the rumen pressing

OB it. Consequently tbe area of the respiratory cavity is lessened, and the process of respiration is seriously impeded. Sometimes tho pressure on the diaphragm is so severe that suffocation is produced almost immediately ; and, as we have before stated, an animal may die before any aid can be obtained. . Tympanitis is a .condition which must always be carefully watched, because the amount of danger is in direct proportion to tho extent of the pressure which the distended organ exerts upon the diaphragm. A slight degree of tympany is unimportant, but a rapid increase in the severity of the symptoms is always to be apprehended, which may render an operation necessary ; and when the necessity arises the treatment must be promptly applied, or it will be too late to be of service. Treatment of hcven is in most cases very simple in character, end, unless the auimal is suffering from distressed breathing, no operation is required. Antiseptics aro the most effective agents for the purpose of stopping the fermentation which is associated with the extrication of gas. Carbolic acid, chlorate of potass, hyposulphite of soda, are valuable remedies. The last agent especially is very effectual in arresting fermentation, and it has the great advantage of being harmless in almost any quantity. An ordinary dose is 4oz in a pint of water for an ox, or a fourth of the quantity for a sheep, and (he dose may be repeated in half an hour if the hoven continues. •

When the distention of the rumen is relieved, it is good praciice)' to give a dose of | purgative medicine, and keep the animal without solid food for FOtne hours. In severe cases of hoven, when suffocation is imminent, no time is allowed for the operation of medicines, arid to save the animal's life it is indispensable to relieve the pressure on the diaphragm at once. For this purpose puncturing tho rumen with a stilette and cannula is the most direct method of relief, or, in the event of the proper instrument not being at hand, a knife may be plunged into the stomach. . , The application of a gag in the form ot a piece of wood, which is fastened in the animal’s mouth in such a way that it is kept open, is a method of treatment which is very • usefui in the absence of other means ; but it is necessary to apply it early. It ia said to be an effectual preventive of the worst form of hoven, even if it does uot cure ;it is therefore a plan of treatment which should always bo put in operation in cases where some delay, is likely to occur in obtaining the necessary instruments or medicines. Any smooth .piece of • wood 'will answer for a gag if it is thick enough to keep the jaws-two or three inches apart, and it may be kept in position by the aid of straps or ropes, which may be fastened behind the horns. ' Exercise is an important adjunct to. the medical treatment of hoven, and in slight cases it will take the place of other remedies. An animal which has Just begun to swell may be cured promptly by the insertion of the gag into the mouth and half an hour’s walking exercise. HORSE WORMS. This form of horse trouble is subject to a great deal of controversy. These pests are a Ireat affliction to our equine friends. The worst is the ‘ bot,’ a short thick grub which attaches itself to the internal surface of the stomach by a sort of hook. Only under certain conditions are they injurious. But at the same time their room is always better than their company- Towards the spring of the year they lose t heir attachment ami p ies off with the dung ; and the bot, being exposed to the action of the sun, loses its previous form, and is changed to a species of butterfly, which insect secretes its eggs on tho skin of horses, tbe irritation of which causes the horse ’to bite the part, when the egg 3 are swallowed, and, finding tbe necessary warmth in the stomach, are there hatched, and become bots. Thus this annual metamorphosis goes .on. ' The long round worm is frequently found in the intestines of horses; and. being generally few in number, does not appear to be very injurious. The tape-worm ia scarcely ■ ever found in the horse ; but the a-eorides are the most common, and probably the most injurious. They are small and threadlike in shape and are found mostly in the large •intestines, and particularly the rectum, where they sometimes cause very great irritation. -Symptoms : We may suspect the prosenoe of ■worms when, in spite of good food and proper oare the horse appears out of condition, and his coat in a harsh, unthrifty state. This : suspicion will be still further corroborated if worms are found with the dung. When l ascarides aro present, there is usually some irritation manifested at the anus, and an ejection of a white secretion from thiß part. Treatment : Unless there is roally a want of condition, it is needless to resort to treatment, as the appearance of a solitary worm or two in the dung, particularly if of the long white sort is a matter of little moment. If, how. ever, worms are really numerous, the horse should have bran mashes fot- a day or two, after which the following may be given Tartarised antimony, 2 drachms; spirits of turpentine, 3 ounces ; linseed oil, 1* pound To be well mixed together, and given wi h great care. After this, the following ball may be given daily, for the space of a week Sulphate of iron, 1 drachm ; powdered gentian, 2'drachms, powdered ginger, 1 drachm; powdered pimento, 1 drachm. To be made into a ba'l with treacle. This ball will materially assist restoring the best condition. In tbe case of worms in fowls 10 drops of turpentine, given early in the morning in the form of a bolus, made with pollard, if followed, say, the next day by a teaspoonful of castor oil, will have a good effect.

questions and answers. Aghicux.tde.al Gazette. Cattle in Filthy Condition.—l had three heifers and a young Alderney bull running in pasture last summer ; took them up last” November, and gave them nothing but j i „ nnd water. The heifers are m nice fS?.SVo°aiUotb«t ft. wih« T t «ft T on the neclc and head. Can you tell me the reason of it ? Can you tell me how to cure it ? If you could suggest a remedy you would 7 foS S have nothing to do with lousiness. Lice do not arise epontaueoushy but are caught from other lousy animals,

or from artioles which have been in contact with these. Straw is r.ot unfrequently a carrier of vermin, and inattention to cleanliness permits them to multiply. They are easily got rid of. Washing with soft soap and water, by means of a hard brush, two or three times, often suffices. Rubbing over the whole of the body with whale oil, to which oil of tar has been added in the proportion of one ounce to the half-gallon of oil, is good, the oil being allowed to remain on the skin for a day or two before being washed off. M’DougaU’s Sheep Dip or Jeyes' Fluid is also effective. All the lit’er on which the animal has been standing should be removed. Woems in Mare. — I have got a five-year-old ca,rt-mare, that has worms. One came from her this morning, quite nine inches lone, tapering at each end. Will you kindiy tell me the, best thing to give her for them . By doing so you will greatly oblige. —A CONSTANT Reader. , , Give in a mash, every day for a week, a powder consisting of 1J drachm sulphate of iron and the same quantity of tartar emetic, feediug meanwhile on bran and hay. At the one! of the week give a dose of physic. Ihia is the most effective treatment.

Bullock not Thriving.—l notioe that one of my fattening bullocks does not thrive as fast as his companions, and that the hair on hiß neck, shoulders, and chine (parts that he cannot lick) is filled with grey dust. Does this proceed from a deranged liver or otonmedi t If so, what treatment would bo beneficial ? g. h. m. t Tbe description given by *G. H. M. is too vague and limited to form a correct opinion upon. Tho condition described may be due to deranged stomach and liver, or the animal may be a delicate bad doer. The met, shoulders, and chine should be well washed with Macdougali’s soap, and a safe medicine to give would be one ounce of bicarbonate of potass, daily, for, say, four or five days ; a sod might also be cut and given to him to nibble or eat, soil and all, at his pleasure. If he is a bad doer, the sooner he is got rid of tbe better.