216 SPASMODIC COLIC. 



not the slightest warning. The horse begins to shift his posture, 

 look round at his flanks, paw violently, strike his belly with his 

 feet, and crouch in a peculiar manner, advancing his hind limbs 

 under him ; he will then suddenly lie, or rather fall down, and 

 balance himself upon his back, with his feet resting on his belly. 

 The pain now seems to cease for a little while, and he gets up, 

 and shakes himself, and begins to feed ; the respite, however, is 

 but short — the spasm returns more violently — every indication oi 

 pain is increased — he heaves at the flanks, breaks out into a pro- 

 fuse perspiration, and throws himself more recklessly about. In 

 the space of an hour or two, either the spasms begin to relax, 

 and the remissions are of longer duration, or the torture is aug- 

 mented at every paroxysm ; tlie intervals of ease are fewer and 

 less marked, and inflammation and death supervene. The pulse 

 is but little afi'ected at the commencement, but it soon becomes 

 frequent and contracted, and at length is scarcely tangible. 



It will presently be seen that many of the symptoms very 

 closely resemble those of inflammation of the mucous membrane 

 of the bowels : it may therefore be useful to point out the lead- 

 ing distinctions between them. 



COLIC. INFLAMMATION OF THE BOWELS. 



Sudden in its attack. Gradual in its approach, -with pre- 

 vious indications of fever. 



Pulse rarely much quickened in Pulse very much quickened, but 



the early period of the disease, and small, and often scarcely to be felt, 

 during the intervals of ease; but 

 evidently fuller. 



Legs and ears of the natural tern- Legs and ears coM. 

 perature. 



ReUef obtained from rubbing the Belly exceedingly tender and pam- 



belly. ful to the touch. 



Relief obtained from motion. Motion evidently increasing the 



pain. 



Int<?rvals of rest. Constant pain. 



Strength scarcely affected. Rapid and great weakness. 



Among the causes of colic are, the drinking of cold water 

 when the horse is heated. There is not a surer origin of violent 

 spasm than this. Hard water is veiy apt to produce this effect. 

 Colic will sometimes follow the exposure of a horse to the cold 

 air or a cold wind after strong exercise. Green feed, although, 

 generally speaking, most beneficial to the horse, yet, given in too 

 large a quantity, or when he is hot, will frequently produce 

 gripes. Doses of aloes, both large and small, are not uniVequent 

 causes of colic. In some horses there seems to be a constitu 

 tional predisposition to colic. They cannot be hardly worked, 

 or exposed to unusual cold, without a fit of it. In many cases, 

 when these horses have died, calculi have been found in some 



