COLIC. 659 



when following the reception of irritants, either chemical or 

 specially developed in the food, may terminate in inflammation 

 of the bowel, may not be questioned ; that the ordinary and 

 greater number of such have this tendency is exceedingly 

 doubtful. As already stated, the weight of evidence seems to 

 indicate that when cases terminate fatally from inflammatory 

 action, that this action has not been added to mere functional 

 disturbance, but has existed from the beginning. 



Treatment. — There is no diseased condition in the horse in 

 which a greater number, more varied and more opposite 

 modes of treatment have at different times been advocated 

 and most vigorously carried out than colic ; while it is curious 

 to note that all these different modes of treatment have had 

 facts and evidence brought forward in support of their success 

 sufficient to warrant their trial or adoption. 



Starting, however, with the belief that by far the greater 

 number of those cases of illness recognised under the very 

 general name of colic are directly due to fimctional disturbance 

 of the alimentary canal, the result of causes dietetic — that they 

 are remotely or more closely associated with over-feeding, 

 irregular feeding, or feeding upon improper material, it seems 

 that those modes of treatment which have for their end the 

 restoration of normal functional activity through the removal 

 of the offending or irritating materials are the most in accord- 

 ance with the dictates of common-sense and the known laws 

 of the animal economy, and consequently most deserving of 

 our favourable consideration and adoption. 



The simpler forms of intestinal disturbance, indicated by 

 restlessness or slight abdominal pain, are often corrected for 

 the time by the adoption of the simplest management or by the 

 exhibition of the simplest and most common medicaments. 

 Still, because many cases of colic are relieved by these, we 

 would not, considering the probability of the existing intestinal 

 disturbance being merely the natural result of some intestinal 

 irritation, regard these measures alone and of themselves as 

 the best and most rational possible. Indeed, it is often 

 observed that these originally simple and apparently mild 

 cases, when thus treated and reUeved without further attention 

 to diet or medicine, are apt shortly to reappear, and that 

 amongst such recurring cases are found those which terminate 



42—2 



