The former is characterized by fluid, or semifluid evacuations, and, in the latter, blood accompanies these evacuations. The former is symptomatic, but the latter not necessarily so, in fact, often purely representative of disease at the lower end of the bowel. The causes of diarrhoea are, practically, too numerous to mention, but the following may be taken as typical of a class: - sudden changes of food; too much sloppy food; prolonged use of liver; presence of worms; distemper; exposure to cold, etc.

In some cases prolonged diarrhoea may provoke an attack of dysentery, though the latter is generally caused by some specific agency.

Treatment

House the cat and keep it warm and comfortable. Feed it very carefully, preferably on some farinaceous food, for some few days, - such as a little milk and arrowroot, or Horlick's malted milk.

Begin treatment with a mild laxative, such as a teaspoonful each of linseed oil and castor oil, to which 6 drops of chlorodyne has been added.

Follow on with 5 grains of powdered cinchona bark, 3 drops of Rubini's essence of camphor in a teaspoonful of milk; or 10 drops of paregoric may be given, night and morning in the same quantity of milk; but it is quite impossible to lay down any definite rule for treatment, so much depending upon the cause.

The treatment of dysentery had better be left to the veterinary surgeon; but small doses of powdered ipecacuanha are the best, especially if supplemented by astringent injections, or the use of astringent suppositories into the lower end of the bowels.