ENTERITIS. 301 



horses of heavy draught. An overloaded stomach is one cause of it, and par- 

 ticularly so when water is given either immediately before or after a plentiful 

 meal, or food to which the horse has not been accustomed is given. 



The symptoms, according to Professor Stewart, are, " the horse suddenly 

 slackening his pace preparing to lie down, or falling down as if he were shot. 

 In the stable he paws the ground with his fore feet, lies down, rolls, starts up 

 all at once, and throws himself down again with great violence, looking wistfully 

 at his flanks, and making many fruitless attempts to void his urine." 



Hitherto the symptoms are not much unlike spasmodic colic, but the real 

 character of the disease soon begins to develope itself. It is hi one of the large 

 intestines, and the belly swells all round, but mostly on the right flank. As 

 the disease proceeds, the pain becomes more intense, the horse more violent, and 

 at length death closes the scene. 



The treatment is considerably different from that of spasmodic colic. The 

 spirit of pimento would be here allowed, or the turpentine and opium drink ; 

 but if the pain, and especially the swelling, do not abate, the gas, which is the 

 cause of it, must be got rid of, or the animal is inevitably lost. 



This is usually or almost invariably a combination of hydrogen with some 

 other gas. It has a strong affinity for chlorine. Then if some compound 

 of chlorine the chloride of lime dissolved in water, is administered in the 

 form of a drink, the chlorine separates from the lime as soon as it comes into 

 contact with the hydrogen, and muriatic gas is formed. This gas having a 

 strong affinity for water, is absorbed by any fluid that may be present, and, 

 quitting its gaseous form, either disappears, or does not retain a thousandth 

 part of its former bulk. All this may be very rapidly accomplished, for the 

 fluid is quickly conveyed from the mouth to every part of the intestinal canal. 



Where these two medicines are not at hand, and the danger is imminent, the 

 trochar may be used, in order to open a way for the escape of the gas. The 

 trochar should be small but longer than that which is used for the cow, and the 

 puncture should be made in the middle of the right flank, for there the large intes- 

 tines are most easily reached. In such a disease it cannot be expected that the 

 intestines shall always be found precisely in their natural situations, but usually 

 the origin of the ascending portion of the colon, or the base of the caecum, will 

 be pierced. The author of this work, however, deems it his duty to add, that 

 it is only when the practitioner despairs of otherwise saving the life of the 

 animal that this operation should be attempted. Much of the danger would be 

 avoided by using a very small trochar, and by withdrawing it as soon as the gas 

 has escaped. The wound in the intestines will then probably close, from the 

 innate elasticity of the parts. 



INFLAMMATION OF THE BOWELS. 



There are two varieties of this malady. The first is inflammation of the 

 external coats of the intestines, accompanied by considerable fever, and usually 

 costiveness. The second is that of the internal or mucous coat, and almost 

 invariably connected with purging. 



ENTERITIS. 



The muscular coat is that which is oftenest affected. Inflammation of the 

 external coats of the stomach, whether the peritoneal or muscular, or both, 

 is a very frequent and fatal disease. It speedily runs its course, and it 

 is of great consequence that its early symptoms should be known. If the 

 horse has been carefully observed, restlessness and fever will have been seen 

 to precede the attack. In many cases a direct shivering fit will occur : the 

 mouth will be hot, and the nose red. The animal will soon express the most 



