422 CYOI-OPEDIA OF IJVE STOCK AND COMPLETE STOCK DOCTOR, 



an obstruction to all intents and purposes, which is called constipation, 

 or costiveness. 



Causes. — AVhcn the food dries and hardens so that it cannot be passed 

 on, it is due to an insufficient quantity of water in the bowel, owing to its 

 all going to the kidneys, or it is due to the horse not drinking enough, or 

 to inactivity of the liver and other glands that supply the bowels with 

 juices. When it is from a want of peristaltic motion, it is due to ner- 

 vous weakness in the bowels. 



How to know it. — Little or no fcEtal matter is passed ; what is passed 

 is hard and dry ; mild colicky pains are felt at intervals of half an hour 

 or so. The horse may continue to eat and otherwise appear all right, 

 but as it runs on, the pains will come oftener and be more acute till it 

 runs into enteritis. 



What to do. — If the pulse is natural and the colicky pains slight and far 

 between, give recipe No. 23 ; also give warm water and soap injections. 

 If the pains continue and increase, give a quart of raw oil and recipe No. 

 62. If it does not yield to this, give the following : 



No. 56. 1 Quart raw oil, 



1 Ounce tinchire nux vomica, 

 Mix. 



Give as one dose. Repeat recipe No. 52 often enough to keep down 

 the pain. If the pain seems to be increasing and the constipation obsti- 

 nate, apply to the belly, well rubbed in, the following: 



No. 57. 1 Ounce croton oil, 



3 Ounces raw linseed oil, 

 Mix. 



Repeat recipe No. 56 every six hours till a passage is effected. Re- 

 peat the injections once an hour, but put in less soap each time. If it is 

 necessary to repeat them more than four or five times, use clear water 

 without soap. 



Xrv. Diarrhoea and Superpiirgation. 



These are watery evacuations from the bowels, and are the opposite to 

 constipation. 



Causes. — In diarrhoea there is an excessive secretion of the juices of 

 the SA'stcni, owing usually to some irritant in the bowels, but some- 

 times to too laxative food. Superpurgation is due to an overdose of 

 purgative medicine. 



How to know it. — The evacuations are frequent and watery ; after run- 

 ning a while the bowels become irritable and the patient strains a good 

 deal and becomes weak ; the pulse gets feeble ; the mouth clammy ; the 

 ears and extremities cold i the eyes and nose pale ; the horse grinds his 



