ENTERITIS 293 



Symptoms. — Although often described as simulating colic, there are 

 marked distinctions to the observant. It may be, and often is the case, 

 that abdominal pain, exhibited in the usual manner, first calls the 

 attendant's notice to the patient. Rigors, or shivering, with coat staring, 

 inappetence, accelerated breathing, great depression, and evacuation of 

 very small quantities of dung, soon follows. The pulse, which in colic 

 only quickens during the paroxysm of pain, is here persistently small, 

 quick, and hard. The membranes of the eyes and nose are red and 

 congested; the eyelid turned up shows the vessels to be full and standing 

 out. The mouth is clammy and tongue dry; the belly may be distended, 

 but is much more frequently contracted — its altered shape is remarkable 

 in a horse with whose outlines one is familiar, having the appearance of 

 being pressed upwards and outwards. From the stage of dull listlessness 

 the patient passes on to one of excitement, stamping the ground, and 

 striking the belly very much in the manner of colic, with occasional uneasy 

 watching and turning of the head towards the flank. In a great many 

 cases we have watched throughout the attack there has been very little 

 violence, more often an uneasy scraping with the front foot, the attendants 

 not being able to realize the gravity of the disease, but supposing it to 

 be a mild attack of gripes. There are no intervals of ease here as in colic, 

 and rarely any desire for food or water; the thirst which accompanies high 

 temperature in man is rarely present in horses. All, except in the stage 

 of delirium, lie down with much caution, lowering themselves in fear, and 

 in quite a different manner from the griped horse, which may throw 

 himself violently upon the floor of his stall before one can get out of 

 his way. The skin alternates between hot and cold, and patches of per- 

 spiration break out from time to time. The ears are cold and the legs 

 variable, one cold and another warm, or three out of four may have a 

 deathly coldness — deathly coldness, we have said, for the experienced 

 hand distinguishes quite different sensations when feeling them, and when 

 feeling the legs of, say, a newly -clipped animal, which are cold from 

 exposure. The eyes become glassy and insensitive to light, the pupil 

 dilated, lips pendulous, ears dropped, the animal sighs, and with difficulty 

 retains his feet, finally staggering and falling, unable to rise again. 

 Constipation is present throughout, and we must not be deceived by the 

 information given at first, that he has had two or three evacuations. In 

 the few cases that recover there is amelioration of the symptoms during 

 the first few hours, the general surface-warmth is restored, and the bowels 

 act somewhat freely; the anxiety of countenance passes off, the patient 

 shows some interest in surrounding objects, and may partake of a little 

 mash or other invalid diet provided. 



Vol. I. 20 



