COLIC. 505 
If the first bleeding does not give relief in six or eight hours, it must 
be repeated to the extent of three or four quarts, and at the same time some 
liquid blister may be rubbed into the skin of the abdomen, continuing 
the fomentations, at short intervals, under that part, which will hasten 
its operation. The diet should be confined to thin gruel or bran mashes, 
and no hay should be allowed until the severity of the attack has abated. 
To DISTINGUISH this disease from colic is of the highest importance, 
and for this purpose it will be necessary to describe the symptoms of 
the latter disease, so as to compare the two together. 
COLIC. 
IN THIS DISEASE there is spasm of the muscular coat of the intestines, 
generally confined to the caecum and colon. Various names have been 
given to its different forms, such as the fret, the gripes, spasmodic colic, 
flatulent colic, &c., but they all display the above feature, and are only 
modifications of it, depending upon the cause which has produced it. In 
spasmodic colic, the bowels are not unnaturally distended, but in flatulent 
colic their distension by gas brings on the spasm, the muscular fibres 
being stretched to so great an extent as to cause them to contract irre- 
gularly and with a morbid action. Sometimes, when the bowels are very 
costive, irritation is established as an effort of nature to procure the dis- 
lodgment of the impacted fecal matters, and thus a third cause of the 
disease is discovered. The exact nature and cause are always to be ascer- 
tained from the history of the case, and its symptoms, and as the treat- 
ment will especially be conducted with a view to a removal of the cause, 
they are of the highest importance. Zhe symptoms in all cases of colic, 
by which it may be distinguished from the last described disease, are as 
follows. In both acute pain is manifested by stamping, looking at the 
flanks, and rolling ; but in enteritis the pain is constant, while in colic 
there are intervals of rest, when the horse seems quite easy, and often 
begins to feed. In both the poor animal strikes at his belly ; but in the 
former he takes great care not to touch the skin, while in the latter (colic) 
he will often bring the blood by his desperate efforts to get rid of his 
annoyance. In enteritis the belly is hot and exquisitely tender to the 
touch, but in colic it is not unnaturally warm, and gradual pressure with a 
broad surface, such as the whole hand, always is readily borne, and gene 
rally affords relief. The pulse also is little affected in colic ; and lastly, the 
attack is very much more sudden than in peritoneal inflammation. 
SUCH ARE THE GENERAL SIGNS by which a case of colic may be distin- 
guished from inflammation of the bowels, but beyond this it is necessary 
to investigate whether it is pure spasmodic colic, or produced by flatulence. 
or by an obstruction in the bowels. 
In spasmonpic couic all the above symptoms are displayed, without any 
great distension of the abdomen ; and if the history of the case is gone 
into, it will be found that after coming in heated the horse has been 
allowed to drink cold water, or has been exposed in an exhausted state 
to a draught of air. 
In FLATULENT COLIC the abdomen is enormously distended ; the attack 
is not so sudden, and the pain is not so intense, being rather to be con- 
sidered, in the average of cases, as a high degree of uneasiness occasion- 
ally amounting to a sharp pang, than giving the idea of agony. In 
aggravated attacks, the distension is so enormous as to leave no doubt 
of the nature of the exciting cause. Here also the spasms are often 
