Causes. The persistence of causes of acute tympany may lead to the appearance of the condition after each meal, or even in the intervals between meals. Among the more specific causes may be named catarrhal inflammation of the rumen, impaction of the third stomach, paresis of the rumen, general debility, peritoneal adhesions affecting the viscus, tuberculosis, actinomycosis or other morbid productions in its walls, hernia of the reticulum into the chest, hard stercoral, hair or wool balls, or masses or foreign bodies in the rumen, and the ingestion of a very fermentescible quality of food. When the rumen is affected by catarrh or paresis or debility, even ordinary food will lead to tympany, but much more so any food to which the animal has been unaccustomed (green for dry, or dry for green, grain for grass or hay, or beans or peas for grain). Also food in process of fermentation, or the seat of fungoid growth.
Again, so intimately related are the different stomachs that derangement of one instantly impairs the functions of the other, and thus a slowly progressive impaction of the third stomach leads to torpor of the first, and the aggregation of more or less of its contents into solid, fermenting masses. In the same way congestion of either the third or fourth stomach impairs the functions of the rumen and induces tympany.
Morbid conditions affecting the functions of the œsophagus and interfering with rumination and eructation of gas are familiar causes. For example, strictures and saccular dilations of the tube, and enlargements—tubercular, sarcomatous, actinomycotic,—of the mediastinal glands.
The symptoms do not differ from those of acute tympany excepting that they are less severe; and are continuous or remittent, suffering a material aggravation after feeding. Rumination may be suppressed or tardy, the bowels also are torpid, the fæces glazed, and the ordinary intestinal rumbling little marked. When the tympany has temporarily subsided, the knuckles, pressed into the left side, can often be made to strike against the hard, solid impacted mass of ingesta. Symptoms of impacted manifolds may also be patent and the patient steadily loses condition.
Treatment must be directed toward the removal of the special cause of the trouble, and if this cannot be secured, as in tuberculosis, the case is hopeless. In cases of solid masses in the rumen the free use of common salt with a drachm of hydrochloric acid, and one grain strychnine with each meal, and a free access to water may succeed. The food had best be restricted to gruels and sloppy mashes. The daily use of electricity through the region of the paunch is an important accessory. The common salt may be increased as required, so as to keep up a very relaxed condition of the bowels.
In obstinate cases of this kind puncture may be resorted to and an attempt made to break down the impacted masses with a steel rod introduced through the cannula. Should this also fail the solid masses or foreign bodies may be extracted by rumenotomy.
In simple catarrh of the rumen the continued use of strychnine with gentian, and sulphate of iron, may prove successful under a carefully regulated diet. Oil of turpentine, balsam of copaiba, or balsam of tolu may also prove useful, or in other cases extract of hamamelis, or of wild cherry bark. While strychnine and electricity are to be preferred to rouse the muscular activity of the viscus, such agents as tartar emetic, emetine, apomorphin, eserine, pilocarpin and barium chloride are recommended and may be resorted to in case of necessity.
OVERLOADED (IMPACTED) RUMEN.
Definition. Causes, excess of rich unwonted food, gastric torpor, paresis, starvation, debility, partially ripened, poisonous seeds, paralyzing fungi or bacteria, lead, cyanides, congestion of rumen, chlorophyll, acrids, dry, fibrous innutritious food, lack of water, enforced rest on dry food, over-exertion, salivary fistula or calculus, diseased teeth or jaws, senility. Symptoms, suspended rumination, inappetence, anxious expression, arched back, bulging pendent left flank, impressible, no friction sounds, excessive crepitation, hurried breathing, colics, grunting when moved, diarrhœa, stupor, cyanosis. Signs of improvement. Phrenic rupture. Diagnosis from tympany, pneumonia, or gastro-intestinal catarrh. Treatment, hygienic, antiseptic, stimulants, puncturing, purgation, rumenotomy.
Definition. The overdistension of the rumen with solid food is characterized by two things, the excess of ingesta which produces the torpor or paresis which is common to all over-filled hollow viscera, and the comparative absence of fermentation and evolution of gas. If the ingesta is of a more fermentescible nature the rapid evolution of gas occurs before this degree of repletion with solid matters can be reached, and the case becomes one of tympany, but if the contents are comparatively lacking in fermentability they may be devoured in such quantity as to cause solid impaction.