REPORT ON THE DISEASES OF FARM HORSES. 293 



The remarkable passage of fluids in the horse is well exemplified, 

 even in cases where the stomach is moderately filled with food, 

 when it will be found that large quantities of water have passed 

 onwards to the large intestines, leaving the injesta within the 

 first-named organ comparatively moist only. Colic or spasm 

 results from overfeeding. No matter what kind of food is allowed, 

 if the animal is kept too long lasting, or is naturally a gross 

 feeder, colic will often result. The stomach of the horse is 

 small compared with the size of the animal's body — digestive 

 process extremely rapid in health, and consequently that small 

 bag quickly requires food, which if only allowed at long intervals 

 he eats greedily — the sense of hunger is most acute, and food 

 is bolted unmasticated to appease the ravenous desire within. 

 The functions of the stomach being already weakened, are over- 

 powered by the sudden repletion, fermentation commences, gases 

 are eliminated, distention occurs, and pain from spasm is set up. 

 Sometimes paralysis of the muscular coat of the stomach takes 

 place, and the end is probably that by the violent action of the 

 sufferer, rupture of the organ, some portion of the intestinal canal, 

 or diaphragm ensues, from which the animal dies. Cold water 

 is believed to accelerate these conditions, but the theory has met 

 with stout denial. 



Amongst the varieties of food more particularly giving rise 

 to colic are bean, pea, or barley straw, especially when given to 

 animals for the first time, or when their properties are damaged 

 by wet, or become musty and dirty, &c. Animals also having 

 access to a heap of barley, wheat, or the open corn bin, will 

 frequently suffer from colic. 



A sudden change from one kind of food to another, as dry to 

 green, and vice versa, are among the most prolific sources. But 

 all the pernicious properties are accelerated, and in most cases 

 attended with the states previously referred to, viz., irregular 

 systems. 



Some animals suffer sevei'ely from spasms after hard work 

 and long abstinence, even before food of any kind has been 

 allowed, and from the irregular mode of treatment contract 

 disease of contiguous organs, as of the liver, spleen, &c, which 

 has no other symptom probably than colic, and wasting or want 

 of condition. Colic also accompanies other diseases, as influenza, 

 being the result of impaired function, and most probably also 

 of reflex nervous action. 



Symptoms of Colic. — The pulse is seldom influenced in the 

 early stages, or even throughout slight cases, and maintains its 

 volume and regularity for some time. The animal occasionally 

 looks round to the flank, and shortly leaves his food ; slight 

 twitchings of the muscles of the abdomen take place, he raises 



