Causes: catarrh of rumen, impaction of manifolds, debility, paresis,
peritoneal adhesions, neoplasms, concretions, sudden change in diet,
gastric congestion, lesions of gullet, or of mediastinal glands.
Symptoms are usually after feeding only, inappetence, rumbling,
costiveness, rumen indentable. Treatment: obviate causes, give
salines, acids, bitters, and water, laxative food, carminatives,
antiseptics, electricity, emetic tartar, eserine, pilocarpin, barium
chloride, apomorphin.
_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.