DISEASES OF THE BOWELS. 701 



the mucous membranes soon become deeply congested, the mouth 

 dry, the tongue contracted, and now and then of a brownish 

 colour, the appetite of course being lost ; the pulse is hard, wiiy, 

 and quick ; the belly is tender iipon pressure ; the abdominal 

 muscles more or less contracted ; and if tympanites be absent 

 the belly may seem tucked up and smaller than natural. By- 

 and-by the symptoms of dulness and depression give place to 

 those of excitement and pain ; the horse stamps the ground with 

 the feet, strikes at the belly, lies down, but mucli more carefully 

 than in spasmodic colic, or makes feints to do so ; it may roll 

 upon its back; turns its eyes anxiously towards the flanks, 

 pants, blows, and sweats with pain. There are no sharp 

 paroxysms of pain with intervals of ease as in colic, but the 

 pain is constant, distressful, and agonizing; in some cases so 

 much so, that tlie sufferer seems afraid to express it, except by 

 a most anxious expression, which is a characteristic and diag- 

 nostic symptom. Now and then the animal will stand persis- 

 tently with the head in a corner, and paw the ground for hours 

 together with one or both fore feet alternately. The pulse is hard, 

 wiry, and quick, often ranging from 80 to 120 beats per minute ; 

 and as the disease advances, it becomes thready and impercep- 

 tible ; the animal sighs, or even groans with pain ; the perspira- 

 tion runs off the body ; the skin is never dry, at one time hot, 

 at another cold; the countenance becomes haggard, the eyes 

 expressive of delirium, pupils dilated. The horse may throw 

 itself about in a most dangerous manner, or walk round its 

 box incessantly ; then it will stand, balance itself, its legs give 

 way, when it may fall and die after a few convulsive struggles, 

 or suddenly all symptoms of pain may subside ; it will then 

 stand quiet, and even drink or endeavour to feed ; its breathing 

 becoming more or less tranquillized ; but the haggard expression 

 of the face still remains ; the pulse continues thready and 

 imperceptible ; cold sweats bedew the body ; the belly becomes 

 tympanitic ; gangrene has now set in ; it trembles incessantly ; 

 the legs and ears are deathly cold ; the mouth cold ; tlie breath 

 told, and even foetid ; the lips drop pendulous ; the eyes become 

 more amaurotic, and after a varying interval death closes tlie 

 scene, the bowels remaining inactive to the last. If, however, in 

 three or four hours from the commencement of attack there be 

 Bouie abatement of the symptoms; if the surface of the body 



