Spasmodic Cholic, 59 



grvcn warm without delay ; to be repeated every four or six hours, 

 until the bowels are unloaded of their contents. It frequently hap- 

 pens, that this practice Avill effcciualli/ relieve Horses, in slight at- 

 -tacks of Gripes, but, if it appear to be necessary, the drink may be 

 repeated in five or six hours. The Belly should be fomented with 

 hot water, for the sake of expedition, by means of flannel cloths, 

 wrung out of it, which should be. applied to the whole of the soft< 

 part of it, as hot as the attendants can bear to handle them ; and 

 tiie fomentation should be continued for twenty minutes at a time. 



After the belly has been fomented, it should be rubbed perfectly 

 dry, by means of coarse cloths.— It is of the greatest consequence, 

 that the Horse should be put into some place, where he will have hi& 

 hberty, and this should be well littered down, with plenty of fresh 

 dry straw. 



There is no part of the practice of the Farriers, which deserves 

 greater reprehension, than that which they adopt in the treatment of 

 this disorder; especially, the custom of rubbing the Horse's belly 

 with sticks and more especially, that of urging him by whipping, or 

 other severe means, to perform rapid motion, whilst labouring under 

 so much torture that he is scarcely able to support himself ; a bar- 

 barous custom, which has been the means of killing hundreds of 

 Horses. In cases of much pain and distress, such as I have already 

 described, the Horse should be bled largely, to the amount of six 

 quarts, and if the violence of the animal's symptoms be extremely 

 urgent, even eight quarts may be taken ; for, although these severe 

 attacks begin with spasm only, in some part of the alimentary canal, 

 yet, if relief be not very soon obtaiii«d. Inflammation speedily comes 



