DISEASES. 245 



Inflammation of the Bowels. 



TLis is a very serious disease, and often kills in a few 

 hours. The ordinary causes are exposure to cold, over-fatigue, 

 washing with very cold water when the horse is heated, and 

 not properly clothed afterwards ; indigestion, strangulation of 

 intestines, and colic, will also produce it. 



The first symptoms are manifestation of abdominal pain, 

 though these are generally preceded by shivering, quick 

 breathing, dulness, and repeated evacuations of small quan- 

 tities of faeces. The appetite is lost, and the pulse quick and 

 hard ; as the pain increases, the animal becomes restless, paws, 

 rolls about in a cautious manner, the body becomes covered 

 with perspiration, the nostrils are widely distended ; he wanders 

 excitedly or listlessly around the box ; the eyes grow wild and 

 haggard ; there is sometimes a groan or a scream of pain ; the 

 gait is staggering, and at last the animal falls and dies, after a 

 few convulsive struggles. 



Opiates must be administered in large doses, in order to 

 arrest the pain, and check as much as possible the movements 

 of the intestines. One or two ounces of tincture of opium, or 

 two or three drachms of opium powder in water, may be given, 

 followed by smaller doses at intervals ; or one ounce of extract 

 of belladonna in water may be administered. Hot fomenta- 

 tions should be applied to the abdomen for an hour at a time, 

 and enemas of warm water given gently, but not too fre- 

 quently j if these increase the pain, they must be stopped. 



Diarrhoea, 



This is a term applied to all simple purging in which the 

 faeces are liquid. It may be a natural effort to discharge from 

 the bowels anything obnoxious to them, or to the system 

 generally. 



