378 AMERICAN AGRICULTURE. 



shakes himself, and begins to feed ; the respite, however, is 

 but short the spasm returns more violently every indica- 

 tion of pain is increased he heaves at .the flanks, breaks out 

 into a profuse perspiration, and throws himself more reck- 

 lessly about. In the space of an hour or two, either the 

 spasms begin to relax, and the remissions are of longer dura- 

 tion, or the torture is augmented at every paroxysm ; the 

 intervals of ease are fewer and less marked, and inflamma- 

 tion and death supervene. The pulse is but little affected at 

 the commencement, but it soon becomes frequent and contrac- 

 ted, and at length is scarcely tangible. 



Among the causes of colic are, the drinking of cold water 

 when the horse is heated. There is not a surer origin of 

 violent spasm than this. Hard water is very apt to produce 

 this effect. Colic will sometimes follow the exposure of a 

 horse to the cold air or a cold wind after strong exercise. 

 Green meat, although, generally speaking, most beneficial to 

 the horse, yet, given in too lar<re a quantity, or when he is 

 hot, will frequently produce gripes. Doses of aloes, both 

 large and small, are not unfrequent causes of colic. In some 

 horses there seems to be a constitutional predisposition to 

 colic. They cannot be hardly worked, or exposed to unusual 

 cold, without a fit of it. In many cases, when these horses 

 have died, calculi have been found in some part of the ali- 

 mentary canal. Habitual costivenes.s and the presence of 

 calculi are frequent causes of spasmodic colic. The seat of 

 colic is occasionally the duodenum, but oftener the ileuin or 

 tin- jejunum ; sometimes, however, both the caecum and 

 colon are affected. Fortunately, we are acquainted with 

 several medicines that allay these spasms ; and the disease 

 often ceases as suddenly as it appeared. Turpentine is one of 

 tin most powerful remedies, especially in union with opium, 

 and in good warm ale. A solution of aloes will be advanta- 

 geously added to the turpentine and opium. If relief is not 

 obtained in half-an-hour, it will be prudent to bleed, for the 

 continuance of violent spasm may produce inflammation. 

 Some practitioners bleed at lirst, and it is far from bad prac- 

 tice ; for although the majority of cases will yield to turpen- 

 tine, opium, and aloes, an early blooding may occasionally 

 prevent the recurrence of inflammation, or at least mitigate 

 it. If it is clearly a case of colic, half of the first dose may 

 be repeated, with aloes dissolved in warm water. The stim- 

 ulus produced on the inner surface of the bowels by the pur- 

 gative may counteract the irritation that caused the spasm. 



