FARMERS' REGISTER— DISEASES OF HORSES. 



S75 



DISEASES OF THE INTESTINES OF HORSES. 



From Uie Library of Useful Knowledge— Farmer's Series. 



These form a veiy important part of horse sur- 

 gery, and many erroneous notions are prevalent 

 res]iecting them. The first disease we will consi- 

 der is 



Spasmodic Colic. 



We have said, that the passage of tlie food through 

 the intestinal canal is ctiected by the alternate con- 

 traction and relaxation of the muscular coat of the 

 intestmes. When that action is simply increased 

 through the whole of the canal, the ibod passes 

 more rapidly, and purging is produced; but the 

 muscles of everj^ part of the frame are liable to 

 irregular and spasuiodic action, and the muscular 

 coat of some portion of the intestines may be thus 

 affected. A spetju^s of cramp may attack a por- 

 tion ol" the intestines. The spasm may be con- 

 fined to a very small part of the canal. The gut 

 lias been found, after death, strangely contracted 

 in various places, contraction not extending above 

 five or six inches in any of them. In the horse, 

 the ileum is the usual seat of this disease. It is of 

 much importance to distinguish between spas- 

 modic colic and inflammation of the bowels, for the 

 eymptoms have considerable resemblance, al- 

 though the mode of treatment should be veiy dif- 

 ferent. 



The attack of colic is usually very sudden. 

 There is often not the slightest warning. The 

 horse begins to shift his posture, look round at his 

 flanks, paw violently, strike his belly with his feet, 

 lie down, roll, and that frequently on his back. In 

 a lew minutes the pain seems to cease, the horse 

 shakes liimself, and begins to feed; and, on a sud- 

 den, the spasm returns more violently, every indi- 

 cation of pain is increased, he heaves at the flanks, 

 breaks out into a i)rofuse perspiration, and throws 

 himself more violently about. In the space of an 

 hour or two, either the spasms begin to relax, and 

 the remissions are of longer duration, or the tor- 

 turers augmented at every paroxysm, the intervals 

 of ease are fewer and less marked, and inflamma- 

 tion and death supervene. 



Of the symptoms by which it may best be dis- 

 tinguished from inflammation of the bowels, we 

 shall speak when we treat of that disease. Among 

 the causes of colic are, the drinking of cold water 

 when the horse is heated. There is not a surer 

 cause of violent spasm than this. Colic will some- 

 times follow the exposure of a horse to the cold air, 

 or a cold wmd after violent exercise. Green meat, 

 although, generally speaking, most beneficial to 

 the horse, yet given in too large a quantity, or 

 when the horse is hot, will frequently produce 

 gripes. In some horses there seems to be a con- 

 stitutional predisposition to colic. They cannot be 

 hardly worked, or exposed to unusual cold, with- 

 out a fit of it. In many cases, when these horses 

 have died, stones have been found in some part of 

 the alimentary canal. 



Fortunately, we .are acquainted with several 

 medicines that allay these spasms; and the disease 

 often ceases almost as suddenly as it appeared. 

 Turpentine is one of the most powerful remedies, 

 especially if given in union with opium. Three 

 ounces of spirit or oil of turpentine, with an ounce 

 of laudanum, given in a pint of warm ale, -will fre- 

 quently have an almost instantaneous eflcct. Even 



a small quantity of fl.iid will seldom be detained in 

 the stomach, but will pass through the ileum to 

 the caecum or water-stomach. ;uid in this passage 

 will come in immediate contact with the spasmed 

 part. 



If relief be not obtained in half an hour it will 

 be prudent to bleed, because the continuance of 

 violent spasm will produce inflammation. Some 

 practitioners bleed at first, and it is far from bad 

 practice; for although the majority of cases will 

 yield to turpentine, opium, and aloes, an early 

 bleeding may occasionally pl•e^"ent the occurrence 

 of inflammation, or at least mitigate it. If it be 

 clearly a case of colic, half of the first dose may 

 be repeated, with a full ounce of Barbadoes aloes 

 dissolved in warm water. The s'imulus produced 

 on the inner surface of the bowels by the ])urgative 

 may counteract the irritation Avhich caused the 

 spasm. The belly should be well rubbed with a 

 brush or warmed cloth, but not bruised and injured 

 by the broom-handle rubbed over the belly by two 

 great fellows with all their strength. The horse 

 should be walked about, or trotted moderately. 

 The motion thus produced in the bowels, and the 

 friction of one intestine over the other, may relax 

 the spasm, but the hasty gallop may speedily 

 cause inflammation to succeed to colic. Clysters 

 of warm water, or containing a solution of aloes, 

 will be injected. The patent syringe will here be 

 most useful. 



When relief has been obtained, the clothing of 

 the horse, saturated with perspiration, should be 

 removed, and fresh, dry clothing substituted. He 

 should be well littered down in a warm stable or 

 box, and have bran mashes for the two or three 

 next days, and drink only lukewarm water. 



Some persons give gin, and even gin and pep- 

 per, in cases of gripes. This, however, is a prac- 

 tice to which we strongly object; it may be useful, 

 or even sufficient, in ordinary cases of colic, but if 

 there be any inflammation or tendency to inflam- 

 mation, it cannot fail to be highly injurious. 



Calculi, or stones in the intestines. 



We have mentioned these as a cause of colic in 

 horses that are subject to frequent attacks of it. 

 Some indigestible substance lodges in the coecum 

 or colon: earthy, or half-digested vegetable matter 

 gradually accumulates around this, and a ball, 

 weighing many pounds, is sometimes formed. 

 This will produce colic, or obstruct the passage of 

 the gut, or, by its pressure, produce inflammation; 

 but as there are ft^.w or no symptoms by which the 

 presence of these stones is clearly indicated, and 

 few, or rather, no certain means, by which they 

 may be removed, we will pass on to an occasional 

 consequence of colic. 



Intususception of the intestines. 



The spasmodic action of the ileum long con- 

 tinued, may be succeeded by an inverted action 

 from the coscum towards the stomach, more pow- 

 erful than the natural action; and the contracted 

 portion of the intestine is thus forced into a portion 

 above it that retains its natural calibre; and the ir- 

 ritation caused by this increases the action, until 

 more is forced in, and an obstruction is formed 

 which no power can overcome. Even the natural 

 motion of the bowels will be sufficient to produce 

 intususception, when the contraction of a portion 

 of the ileum is very great. There are no symp- 



