.
It may be naturally supposed that this process will occasionally be interrupted by a variety of circumstances. Inflammation of the stomach of the dog is very difficult to deal with. It is produced by numerous different causes. There is great and long-continued sickness; even the most harmless medicine is not retained on the stomach. The thirst is excessive; there are evident indications of excessive pain, expressed by the countenance and by groans: there is a singular disposition in the animal to hide himself from all observation; an indication that should never be neglected, nor the frequent change from heat to cold, and from cold to heat.
The mode of treatment is simple, although too often inefficient. The lancet must be immediately resorted to, and the bleeding continued until the animal seems about to fall; and to this should quickly succeed repeated injections. Two or three drops of the croton oil should be injected twice or thrice in the day, until the bowels are thoroughly opened. The animal will be considerably better, or the disease cured, in the course of a couple of days.
is a singular aptitude in the stomach of the dog to eject a portion of its contents; but, almost immediately afterwards, the food, or a portion if not the whole of it, is swallowed again. This is a matter of daily occurrence. There is a coarse rough grass, ihe
cynosaurus cristatus
, or crested dog's-tail. It is inferior for the purposes of hay, but is admirably suited for permanent pastures. It remains green after most other grasses are burnt by a continuance of dry weather. The dog, if it be in his power, has frequent recourse to it, especially if he lives mostly in a town. The dry and stimulating food, which generally falls to his share, produces an irritation of his stomach, from which lie is glad to free himself; and for this purpose he has recourse to the sharp leaves of the cynosurus. They irritate the lining membrane of the stomach and intestines, and cause a portion of the food to be occasionally evacuated; acting either as an emetic or a purgative, or both. They seem to be designed by nature to be substituted for the calomel and tartar emetic, and other drugs, which are far too often introduced.
An
case of the retention of a sharp instrument in the stomach is related by Mr. Kent of Bristol.