376 



FARMERS' REGISTER— DISEASES OF HORSES. 



torns to indicate the presence of this, except con- 

 tinued and increasmg pam; or if there were, all 

 our means of relief would here fail. 



Entanglement of the bmoels. 



This is another and more sinsjular consequence 

 of colic. Although the ileum is envelojied in the 

 mesentery, and its motion to a considerable degree 

 confined, yet under the spasm of colic, and during 

 the violence with which the animal rolls and 

 throws himself about, portions of the ileum be- 

 come so entangled as to be twisted into nooses and 

 knots, drawn together with a degree of lightness 

 scarcely credible. Nothing but the extreme and 

 lengthened torture of the animal can lead us to 

 suspect that this has taken place, and, could we 

 ascertain its existence, there would be no cure. 



Inflammation of the bowels. 



There are two varieties of this malady. The 

 first is inflammation of the external coats of the 

 intestmee, accompanied by considerable lever and 

 costiveness. The second is that of the internal or 

 mucous coat, usually the consequence of an over- 

 dose of physic, and accom])anied by violent pur<r- 

 ing. We will here speak of the first of these af- 

 fections. It has been divided into inflammation of 

 the peritoneal coat, and that of the muscular: but 

 the causes, symptoms, and treatment of both are 

 so much alike, that it would be raising unnecessa- 

 ry difficulties to endeavor to distinguish between 

 them. Inflammation of the external coats of the 

 stomach, whetiier the peritoneal or muscular, or 

 both, is a very Irequent and fatal disease. It 

 speedily runs its course, and it is of great conse- 

 quence that its early symptoms should be known. 

 If the horse has been carefully observed, restless- 

 ness and fever will have been seen to precede the 

 attack; in many cases a direct shivering fit will be 

 observed; the mouth will be hot, and the nose red. 

 The horse will soon express the most dreadful pain 

 by pawing, striking at his belly, looking wildly at 

 his flanks, groaning and rolling. The pulse wifl 

 be quickened and small; the ears and legs cold; 

 the belly tender and sometimes hot; the breathing 

 quickened; the bowels costive; and the horse be- 

 coming rapidly and fearfully weak. 



It may be useful to give a short table of the dis- 

 tinguishing symptoms of colic and inflammation 

 of the bowels, because the treatment recommend- 

 ed for the former would ollen be fatal in the lat- 

 ter. 



Colic. 



Sudden in its attack. 



Pulse rarely much quickened in the early period 

 of the disease, and during the intervals of ease: 

 but evidently luller. 



Legs and ears of the natural temperature. 



Relief obtained from rubbing the belly. 



Relief obtained irom motion. 



Intervals of" rest. 



Strength scarcely affected. 



Inflammation of the bowels. 



Gradual in its approach, with previous indica- 

 tions of lever. 



Pulse very much quickened, but small, and often 

 scarcely to be i'eit. 



Legs and ears cold. 



Belly exceedingly lender and painful to the 

 touch. 



Motion evidently increasing the pain. 



Constant pain. 



Rapid and great weakness. 



The causes of this disease are, first of all, and 

 most frequently, sudden exjiosure to cold. If a 

 horse that has been highly ted, carefully groomed, 

 and kept in a warm stab'e, be heated with exer- 

 cise, and have been for some hours without food; 

 and in this state of exhaustion be suffered to drink 

 freely of cold water, or be drenched with rain, or 

 have his legs and belly washed with cold water, 

 an attack of infliimmation of the bowels will often 

 follow. An overlcd horse subjected to severe and 

 long continued exertion, it' his lungs were pre- 

 viously weak, will probably be attacked by inflam- 

 mation of them; but if the lungs were sound, the 

 bowels will on the following day be the seat of 

 disease. Stones in the intestines are an occasion- 

 al cause of inflammation, and colic neglected, or 

 wrongly treated, will terminate in it. 



The treatment of inflammation of the bowels, 

 like that of the lungs, should be prompt and ener- 

 getic. The first and most powerful means of cure 

 will be Weeding. From six to eight or ten quart.^ 

 of blood should be taken as soon as possible, and 

 the bleeding repeated to the extent of four or five 

 quarts more if the pain be not relieved, and the 

 pulse have not become rounder and fuller. The 

 speedy Aveakness that accompanies this disease 

 should not deter from bleeding largely. It is the 

 weakness that is the consequence of violent in- 

 flammation of these parts, and if that inflamma- 

 tion be subdued bvthe loss of blood, the weakness 

 will disappear. The bleeding should be effected 

 on the first appearance of the disease, for there is 

 no malady that so quick!}' runs its course. 



Next to bleeding will follow clysters. Although 

 the bowels are usually confined, we cannot admin- 

 ister a strong purgative;* the intestines are already 

 in tar too irritable a state. The clyster may con- 

 sist of warm water, or very thin gruel, in which 

 half a pound of Epsom salts, or half an ounce of 

 aloes has been dissolvxd, and too much fluid can 

 scarcely be thrown up. If the common ox-bladder 

 and pipe be used, it should be frequently replenish- 

 ed: but with Reed's patent pump, already referred 

 to, sufficient may be injected to penetrate beyond 

 the rectum, and reach to the colon and ccecum, and 

 dispose them to evacuate their contents. The 

 horse may likewise be encouraged to drink plenti- 

 fully of warm water or thin gruel; and draughts, 

 each containing a couple of drachms of dissolved 

 aloes, may be given e\ery six hours, until the 

 bowels are freely opened. 



Next, it will be prudent to endeavor to excite 

 considerable external inflammation, as near as 

 possible to the seat of internal disease, and there- 

 fore the whole of the belly should be blistered. In 

 a well-marked case of this inflamation, no time 

 should be lost in applying fomentations, but the 



* The lunnan practitioner gives, under this disease, 

 and with advantage, very powerful doses of purgative 

 medicine; and lie may be disposed to demur to the 

 cautious mode of proceeding; we recommend with re- 

 gard to the liorsc. Althougli we may not be able to 

 give him a satisfactory theoretical reason in defence of 

 our treatment, we can appeal to the experience of 

 every veterinary surgeon, that a strong dose of physic 

 given in inflammation of the bowels would be certain 

 poison. 



