282 HEALTH AND DISEASE 



Causes. — Among these are food of an improper nature, eating too 

 fast and too much after long abstinence. It is also a result of intestinal 

 obstruction, imperfect mastication arising out of irregularity of the teeth, 

 and of altered structure and disordered function of one or another of the 

 organs of digestion. Potatoes, rapidly-grown clover, and succulent grasses 

 taken after a long fast will also induce it. To know which of these causes 

 is in operation is important, as upon it will depend the course of treatment 

 to be pursued. 



.—Flatulent Coli. 



int \vhriv tlit- triM/lia 



Symptoms. — The most striking and characteristic symptom is the 

 drum-like distension of the belly (fig. 103). The manifestations of pain 

 are not so sudden and acute as in spasmodic colic, but come on gradually; 

 moreover, the pain is continuous, and attended with more danger than in 

 spasmodic colic. Abdominal pain is evinced by restlessness and pawing, 

 looking round at the flank, distressful countenance, and it may precede or 

 follow the drum-like condition of the belly. It must, however, be remem- 

 bered that individuals vary very much in their behaviour when suffering 

 from this form of indigestion. To the violence of some patients may be 

 attributed such fatal consequences as rupture of the intestine, while others 

 show great depression of spirits, standing with a pained and anxious look, 

 or wandering fitfully about the box, fearing to lie down, and, when 

 compelled by pain to seek a change of posture, getting down slowly and 



