STOMACH AND BOWEL DISEASES 223 



usually a perceptible distension of the belly. A safe 

 and easy remedy is a dose of common cooking soda, 

 about two tablespoonfuls, with a tablespoonful of 

 ginger, the whole well shaken up in a pint of water. 

 This dose may be repeated, if necessary, in thirty 

 minutes, and again in forty-five minutes. The horse 

 should be quietly walked about, but not forced into a 

 trot. 



Colic is apt to be accompanied by violent pain shown 

 especially by the patient's thrashing about, rolling, 

 lying down and getting up, etc. These violent move- 

 ments are more apt to cause death by rupture than is 

 the disease itself. Therefore, if the first dose above 

 prescribed does not relieve the horse, he should at 

 once be given a hypodermic injection of morphine, 

 amounting to one and one-half grains for a horse of 

 1,000 or 1,100 pounds, and two grains for a big 

 horse. If a hypodermic syringe is not at hand, the 

 horse may be given, by the mouth, a dose of laudanum 

 and nitre in a pint of water, one ounce of laudanum for 

 a medium-sized horse, an ounce and a half for a big 

 horse, with from one to two ounces of sweet spirits of 

 nitre. The morphine or the laudanum dose, whichever 

 is given, should be repeated in forty-five minutes, if the 

 pain continues, and a third dose may be given, if neces- 

 sary, about one hour after the second dose. In cases of 

 colic it is often sufficient to relieve the pain, and when 

 that is done, nature will complete the cure. 



Spasmodic colic is a spasmodic contraction of the 

 muscular coat of the intestines, and it often develops 

 into inflammation of the bowels. 



