INFLAMMATION OF THE BOWELS. 209^ 



dispose them to evacuate their contents. The horse may likewise be 

 encouraged to drink plentifully of warm water or thin gruel ; and draughts, 

 each containing a couple of drachms of dissolved aloes, may be given every 

 six hours, until the bowels are freely opened. 



Next, it will be prudent to endeavour to excite considerable external 

 inflammation, as near as possible to the seat of internal disease, and there- 

 fore the whole of the belly should be blistered. In a well-marked case of 

 this inflammation, no time should be lost in applying fomentations, but the 

 blister be at once resorted to. The tincture of Spanish flies, whether made 

 with spirit of wine or turpentine, should be well rubbed in. The legs should 

 be well bandaged, to restore the circulation to them, and thus lessen the 

 flow of blood to the inflamed part, and for the same reason the horse should 

 be warmly clothed, but the air of the stable or box should be cool. 



No corn or hay should be given during the disease, but bran-mashes, 

 and green-meat if it can be procured. The latter will be the best of all 

 food, and may be given without the slightest apprehension of danger. 

 When the horse begins to recover, he may get a handful of corn two or 

 three times in the day, and, if the weather be warm, may be turned into a 

 paddock for a few hours in the middle of the day. Clysters of gruel should 

 be continued for two or three days after the inflammation is beginning to 

 subside, and good hand-rubbing applied to the legs. 



The second variety of inflammation of the bowels affects the internal or 

 mucous coat, and is generally the consequence of physic given in too great 

 quantity, or of an improper kind. The purging is more violent, and con- 

 tinues longer than was intended ; the animal shows that he is suffering 

 great pain ; he frequently looks round at his flanks ; his breathing is 

 laborious, and the pulse is quick and small ; not so small, however, as in 

 inflammation of the peritoneal coat, and, contrary to some of the most 

 frequent and characteristic symptoms of that disease, the mouth is hot, and 

 the legs and ears are warm. Unless the purging is excessive, and the 

 pain and distress great, we should hesitate at administering any astringent 

 medicine at first. We should plentifully administer gruel, or thin starch, 

 or arrow-root, by the mouth and by clyster, removing all hay and corn, 

 and particularly green meat. We should endeavour thus to sheath the 

 irritated surface of the bowels, while we permitted any remains of the 

 medicine to be carried off. If, however, twelve hours should pass, and 

 the purging and the pain remain undiminished, we should continue the 

 gruel, but add to it chalk, catechu, and opium, in doses of an ounce of 

 the first, a quarter of an ounce of the second, and two scruples of the last, 

 repeated every six hours. As soon as the purging begins to subside, the 

 astringent medicine should be lessened in quantity, and gradually dis- 

 continued. Bleeding will rarely be necessary unless the inflammation be 

 very great, and attended by symptoms of general fever. The horse should 

 be warmly clothed, and be placed in a warm stable, and his legs should be 

 hand-rubbed and bandaged. 



Violent purging, and attended with much inflammation and fever, will 

 sometimes occur from other causes. Green meat will sometimes purge. 

 A horse worked hard upon green meat will scour. The remedy is change 

 of diet or less labour. Young horses will scour, and sometimes without 

 any apparent cause. Astringents should be used with much caution here. 

 It is probably an effort of nature to get rid of something that offends. A 

 few doses of gruel will assist in effecting this purpose, and the purging will 

 cease without astringent medicine. 



Some horses that are not well-ribled home, (having too great space 

 between tbe last rib and the hip-bone), are subject to purging if more than 



