398 THE PRACTICE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE. 



such is not the case, the two diseases being widely different 

 in character, acute indigestion being a much more serious 

 condition than flatulent colic. 



Cazises.— The causes which operate in producing flatulent 

 colic are many : the most common cause being coarse, infe- 

 rior food, especially hay or corn that is sour and mouldy, 

 or otherwise damaged. A sudden change of food is also 

 frequently followed by an attack of flatulent colic. Imper- 

 fect mastication, owing to defective teeth, etc., in conse- 

 quence of which the food is swallowed unmasticated, may 

 also be mentioned as a cause of this disorder ; and especi- 

 ally in the case of very old animals, whose digestive 

 powers are impaired. 



Symptoms. — The animal evinces a slight uneasiness, and 

 paws, turns his head to one side, throws himself upon the 

 ground, and rolls ; the pulse runs up, and soon the 

 abdomen is observed to be gradually increasing in volume 

 — becoming distended with gas. In a well-marked case 

 the distension increases until the abdomen attains an enor- 

 mous size. The ribs of the leanest horse now can no 

 longer be located ; the swelling in some cases being so 

 great that even the antero-external spine of the ilium can 

 scarcely be located with the eye alone. The suff'ering of 

 the animal now becomes very great. He is stilty and 

 sluggish in his movements ; a cold sweat may break out ; 

 the countenance betokens great anguish ; the ears and 

 extremities of the patient become cold, and if relief be 

 not afforded very quickly death will soon result. When 

 the abdomen is so enormously distended with [gas the 

 animal should, if possible, be prevented from throwing 

 himself violently upon the ground, as such an act would be 

 very likely to cause rupture of a bowel, and of course cer- 

 tain death would be the result. In a pure case of flatulent 

 colic there are never any eructations of gas, though there 



