ENTERITIS. 303 



beyond the rectum, and reach to the colon and caecum, and dispose them to 

 evacuate their contents. The horse should likewise be encouraged to drink 

 plentifully of warm water or thin gruel ; and draughts, each containing a couple 

 of drachms of dissolved aloes, with a little opium, should be given every six 

 hours, until the bowels are freely opened. 



It will now be prudent to endeavour to excite considerable external inflam- 

 mation as near as possible to the seat of internal disease, and therefore the 

 whole of the belly should be blistered. In a well-marked case of this disease, 

 no time should be lost in applying fomentations, but the blister at once 

 resorted to. The tincture of Spanish flies, whether made with spirit of wine or 

 turpentine, should be thoroughly rubbed in. The legs should be well ban- 

 daged in order to restore the circulation hi 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 allowed 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, a handful of corn may be given two or three times in the day; 

 and, if the weather is warm, he may be turned into a paddock for a few hours 

 in the middle of the day. Clysters of gruel should be continued for three or 

 four 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 in too great quantity, 

 or of an improper kind. The purging is more violent and continues 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, the surgeon should hesitate 

 at giving any astringent medicine at first ; but he 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. He should thus endeavour to 

 soothe the irritated surface of the bowels, while he permits all remains of the 

 purgative to be carried off. If, however, twelve hours have passed, and the 

 purging and the pain remain undiminished, he should continue the gruel, 

 adding to it chalk, catechu, and opium, repeated every six hours. As soon as 

 the purging begins to subside, the astringent medicine should be lessened in 

 quantity, and gradually discontinued. Bleeding will rarely be necessary, unless 

 the inflammation is very great, and attended by symptoms of general fever. 

 The horse should be warmly clothed, and placed in a comfortable stable, and his 

 legs should be hand-rubbed and bandaged. 



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

 from other causes. Green meat will frequently purge. A horse worked hard 

 upon green meat will sometimes scour. The remedy is change of diet, or less 

 labour. Young horses will often be strongly purged, without any apparent 

 cause. Astringents should be used with much cantion 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 astrin- 

 gent medicine. 



Many horses that are not well-ribbed home having too great space between 

 the last rib and the hip-bone are subject to purging if more than usual exer- 

 tion is required from them. They are recognised by the term of washy horses. 



