Causes: sudden changes to green food, or leguminous fodder, newly
harvested fodder, frosted food, iced water, microbian infection, toxin
poisoning, intestinal fermentations, experiments, volvulus,
invagination, strangulation, compression, atony. Symptoms: as in
verminous aneurisms. Diagnosis: absence of worms, presence of other
causes. Treatment.
_Causes._ Acute intestinal congestion apart from verminous aneurisms is
ascribed to a variety of causes. Sudden changes of food especially to
green food, in spring, or to some of the leguminous fodder plants
(alfalfa, cowpea, clover, tares, vetches), newly harvested grain or hay,
fodders covered with hoarfrost, iced water, and microbian infection or
poisoning with toxins or other irritant products of intestinal
fermentations. Experimentally the injection into the circulation of
pyogenic toxins and putrid matters has determined intestinal congestion
and hemorrhage. In the same way musty hay or grain have proved the
occasion of these attacks. Finally mechanical blocking of the
circulation of the intestine as by volvulus, invagination, strangulated
hernia, or even compression by bulky food has seemed to operate in this
way.
It ought to be borne in mind that the habitual microbes of the healthy
bowel may become pathogenic when brought in contact with a mucosa which
is the seat of irritation, atony or any condition of debility.
_Symptoms and Lesions._ The verminous aneurisms and thrombosis aside,
the symptoms and lesions of this form of congestion so closely resemble
those of the verminous affection that it seems needless to repeat them.
_Diagnosis_ is difficult but the absence of worms in the affected
animals and their fellows, and the presence of some one of the other
recognized causes may lead to a fair conclusion.
_Treatment_ of the affection is more hopeful than in the verminous
affection, and may be conducted on the same general lines.