CHAPTER LIX. 



SPOEADIC DISEASES— continued. 



LOCAL BmEABES—coiifinued. 



(0.) DISEASES OF THE BOV^EES—coiitlnued. 



INFLAMMATOEY DISEASES OF THE IXTESTI:N'ES— 

 EJsTEIlITIS. 



Enteeitis, or inflammation of the bowels, may safely be stated 

 to be the most rapidly fatal inflammatory disease to which the 

 horse is liable, destroying life in the course of a few hours. 

 Indeed, it is very doubtful whether the disease recognised as 

 enteritis by veterinarians is a true inflammation at all, as its 

 course and progress, rapid termination, and j;os(J mortem ap- 

 pearances tend to confirm the opinion that it partalces more 

 of the nature of apoplexy than of inflammation. It is very 

 true that impaction, constipation, introsusception, the presence 

 of calculi, or the action of irritant poisons, may cause great 

 congestion and inflammation of tlie intestinal membranes ; but 

 the disease to be described originates sui generis, and very 

 often without the occurrence of an immediate and recognisable 

 cause of direct irritation. This fact has led some practitioners 

 of very great experience, amongst whom may be mentioned 

 the late Llr. Lawson of Manchester, to arrive at the conclusion 

 that enteritis never originates in colic, spasmodic or flatulent. 

 Many writers assert that enteritis is situated in the small 

 intestines, more particularly in the ileum and jejunum. My 

 experience, how^ever, leads me to the conclusion that it is more 

 commonly situated in the caecum and colon than in any other 

 part of the intestinal canal, but no portion of the tube is 

 exempt. The only recognisable causes are, over fatigue, cold 



