TREATMENT OF COLIC. 145 



often lost in this way. At the very outset, we should 

 administer a good purgative by the mouth, and have 

 recourse to the use of injections by tlie bowel. I be- 

 lieve the best purgative is a ball containing six drachms 

 of genuine Barbadoes aloes, two drachms of ginger, 

 and ten drops of oil of carraway ; and Mr. Gamgee 

 uses nothing for injections but plain warm water, in 

 two-quart doses, and repeated at short intervals five or 

 six times, as occasion may require. If I might venture 

 to give an opinion of my own on this matter, I would 

 recommend, in addition to the above treatment, the 

 administration of one ounce of laudanum and one ounce 

 of sweet spirit of nitre, unless the state of the bowels 

 forbids it. If the constipation is great, the laudanum 

 would only increase it, and therefore should not be given 

 till the bowels are opened ; but if the bowels are toler- 

 ably free, I would combine all the plans of treatment, 

 and thus hit the disease on every point. The purga- 

 tive ball and injection will carry off all offending mat- 

 ter ; the laudanum will relieve the spasm and pain ; 

 and the sweet nitre will equalize the circulation by 

 acting on the kidneys and skin. 



The practice of forcing the horse to stand on his 

 feet, or walk about, when labouring under a fit of colic, 

 is most inhuman. The same remark is also applicable 

 to the plan of exercising the horse during the time he 

 is under the purgative action of a dose of physic. He 



