SPASMODIC COLIC. 83 



colic, and spasmodic or cramp colic, are quite different in their 

 character, and require very different treatment. Spasmodic 

 colic is a disease of the bowels, characterized by frequent and 

 repeated spells of violent cramping. It occurs more frequently 

 in the warmer seasons, but may be met with at any time. But 

 a very small portion of the gut may be attacked by the cramp- 

 ing, or it may extend along a large portion of it. The twisting 

 and turning may be quite light, or of the most powerful charac'- 

 ter. After death, portions of the guts have been found very 

 strangely twisted and contracted, or drawn in. The gut called 

 the ilium is the usual seat of the disease. 



Si/m_ptoms.— Spasmodic colic, like windy colic, is sudden in 

 its attack, and no pre^'ious symptoms give warning of its ap- 

 proach. As in windy colic, the horse commences pawing, 

 striking his belly with his feet; looks round at his side, and 

 soon lies down. In spasmodic colic, he lies down very quick, 

 and gathers his legs under, as if he wished to come down flat 

 on the belly. He rolls rapidly, and does not seem disposed to 

 lie on his back, but rolls clear over. He gets partly up, and 

 sits on his rump like a dog, and looks round at his side for a 

 few seconds; rises up quickly, and may even shake himself, 

 and appear perfectly easy, and go to picking hay or grass, as if 

 nothing were the matter. But, in a short time, he again be- 

 gins to show signs of uneasiness, and the paroxysm is again 

 renewed, the horse behaving as before described. But each 

 successive spell becomes more severe. The horse sweats freety, 

 the sweating commencing earlier in the attack in this than in 

 windy colic. Another symptom which I have often observed 

 in this variety of colic is, that the horse frequently turns up 

 his upper lip. This is often thought to be a " sure sign of hots-;' 

 a very fatal^ mistake. There is but little swelling of the bowels 

 m spasmodic colic, and, consequently, no great tightness of the 

 belly, as in windy colic. After the disease has nearly run its 

 course, and inflammation of the bowels, which is generally the 

 result of spasmodic colic, has set in, there will be some degree 



