CATARRHAL INFLAMMATION OF THE FOURTH STOMACH.
Usually a complication. Causes, predisposing, exciting, changes of food or water, spoiled, frosted or fermented food, green potatoes, caterpillars, nitrogenous food, irritants. Symptoms: Separation from herd, grinding teeth, eructation, depraved appetite, fever, tender epigastrium, coated dung, red eyes, fixed or retracted, dilated, blind eyes, drooping ears, nervous symptoms, reckless unconscious movements, bellowing, tender skin, tremors. Lesions: Congestion and exudate in gastric mucosa, hemorrhagic discoloration, desquamation, excess of mucus, resemblance to rinderpest, Texas fever and malignant catarrh. Treatment: Empty stomach by bland laxatives, stimulants of peristalsis, calmatives, cold to head, counter-irritants, enemata, bitters.
This affection is by no means rare in cattle, though it is usually complicated with inflammation of the first three stomachs or of the intestines. Nevertheless, when the disease appears to be concentrated on the fourth stomach mainly, it may well take its name accordingly.
Causes. A predisposition to the affection occurs in the weak and debilitated, the overworked oxen, underfed cattle, in those that are just recovering from a severe illness and in which the gastric secretions and functions are still poor. The usual exciting cause is some fault in the food, it may be a sudden change from one kind to another, and especially from dry to green, or from one kind of green food to another and more tempting one, as when the animal breaks into a field of grain which is advancing to maturity. Even a sudden change of water, as from soft to hard has seemed in our experience to contribute to its development. Next come spoiled aliments, frosted or frozen turnips, beets, carrots, potatoes, apples, turnip tops, fermented grasses, musty hay, sun-exposed potatoes, putrid vegetables, and caterpillars on cabbages, tree leaves and other vegetables. Next come products that are highly nitrogenous, like vetches, alfalfa, sainfoin, clover, and the cakes of linseed, rape and cotton seed. Irritant plants such as colchicum, digitalis, yew, radish, etc., have been charged as causative agents.
Symptoms. These are often difficult to distinguish from those of indigestion or acute lead poisoning, and they vary in different cases according to the severity of the attack. In the milder cases there may be loss of appetite and rumination, some tympany, arching of the back, uneasy movements of the hind limbs and tail, a disposition to leave the herd, grinding of the teeth, and frequent gaseous eructations. Some show a depraved appetite, picking up and chewing various non-alimentary substances. Somewhat more characteristic are the dry, hot muzzle, the hyperthermia of the body, the tenderness to pressure of the epigastrium, and the baked appearance and glistening surface of the fæces. In the more severe forms the suffering is increased and the nervous system participates in the disorder. The eyes are congested, fixed or rolled back, the pupils dilated, the vision appears to be abolished, the ears are pendant, if tied the subject attempts to get loose, if at liberty he moves steadily in some one direction regardless of obstacles or dangers, he bellows, pushes against walls or other obstructions and may seriously injure himself or others. There is, however, no mischievous purpose, he is simply impelled to blind motion, and no regard is had to anything which may be in his way. In some instances the nervous disorder is manifested by a sensitiveness of the skin, so that the animal shrinks when handled or pinched along the chine or back. Tremors is another marked symptom.
Lesions. These consist mainly in congestion and swelling of the gastric mucosa, which is further covered by a thick layer of mucus. The folds are especially thickened and discolored, and the seat of hemorrhagic extravasations (petechiæ) and exudations in spots and patches. Desquamation of the epithelium may be met with at points and even distinct ulcers. Exudation in the submucous tissue, and petechiæ in the peritoneum are common. The condition may bear a close resemblance to what is seen in rinderpest or malignant catarrh.
Treatment. The first desideratum is the elimination of the irritant ingesta from the stomach. But for this purpose emetics are useless and we must fall back on laxatives. Again we are met by the consideration that the inflamed stomach will neither readily absorb nor respond to a stimulus. Yet as a rule the viscus is not equally inflamed throughout, and even the affected parts do not necessarily have the whole muscular coat involved and paralyzed. We can therefore hope for a measure of response which once started will deplete and improve the adjacent and more violently affected parts. But irritant and drastic purgatives like croton, podophyllin or gamboge are proscribed as very liable to aggravate the inflammation. Pilocarpin 3 grs. hypodermically may be given or in default of this, 1 lb. each of Glauber and common salt in not less than six quarts of water, free access being allowed to pure water until it shall have operated. Bismuth may also be given as a calmative. Active rubbing of the abdomen will assist in rousing the stomachs to action, and hasten the action of the purgative. If there should be any sign of cerebral disorder, cold water or ice may be applied to the head, and oil of turpentine, followed by a pulp of the best ground mustard may be applied to the epigastrium and right hypochondrium. This may be accompanied and followed by copious enemata, and doses of quinia, gentian or still better nux vomica three times a day.