96 SYMPTOMS OF COUC. DISTINCTIONS. 



«ig, and would devolve into colic first, and infiammation afterwards, but that 

 those horses' evacuations are well looked after, and the system of stimulants is 

 Kept up by repetition. This treatment, however, can not always succeed, so 

 we frequently find that stalHonsdie suddenly of inflammation in the intestines, 

 in the spermatic cords, or other parts of generation. Cases of death, in acttLS 

 coitit, from the same causes, are upon record. I mentioned this before, at 

 page 18. 



All horses that have been pampered in the above manner, or oy being kei)t 

 in close stables, or having their water chilled, when they come to be subjected 

 to common usage, are most likely to suffer by colic in its worst forms. Horses 

 that are made up for sale by dealers and cunning breeders, in order to give 

 their coats a sleek appearance, upon passing into the hands of new owners, 

 commonly undergo attacks, more or less acute, of spasmodic colic, if they do 

 not at once fall ill of inflammation of bowels, kidneys, or bladder. With ani- 

 mals so circumstanced, mere flatulency or looseness may be considered a fa- 

 vourable termination of the making-up system before alluded to. 



Symjitom.s. These, as contra-distinguished from those which denote in- 

 flammation of the intestines, will be found in the table of comparative symp- 

 toms at i)age 90. In addition thereto, other symptoms, that mark the degree 

 of spasmodic attack, require equal discrimination, seeing that treatment which 

 may be highly proper in the more virulent attacks, would be injurious if em- 

 ployed upon every slight occasion. Neither is it every horse which shows 

 signs of pain in the inside that has the colic, even though the symptoms set 

 down in the second column of the " table," at page 90, do not appear; for, he 

 may be afflicted with pain in the kidneys, or inflammation of the bladder, 

 which the attendant should ascertain before giving the stimulants that may be 

 very proper in most stages of colic, but would accelerate the diseases incident 

 to those " urinary organs." The careful reader should therefore turn to the 

 subjects "Kidneys," and "Bladder," before he proceeds to treat the animal 

 simply for colic pains. 



In its mildest state, flatulent colic first appears in the form of violent purg- 

 ing, which is in fact no positive disease, as before observed, but an effort of 

 nature to rid itself of a collection of offensive matter, either indigestible, cold, 

 or irritating. Of what precise kind this may be at any time is ascertainable 

 upon the view, and requires only to be assisted in coming oft', provided but 

 little pain is evinced by the animal. If he be a crib-biter, pieces of extraneous 

 matter are usually found among the dung, as bits of wall, of wood, litter, &c.; 

 if an aged horse, or one that has been kept on bad hay, his food comes off un- 

 digested ; if a very fat horse, the mucous secretion comes away as described 

 under "molten grease," just above — and all these require at most some of the 

 milder purgatives that are least likely to irritate the bowels. 



Whenever the ears become cold, after gripes have continued some hours, it is 

 a certain indication that inflammation has taken place of some one or more or- 

 gans, mostly cf the intestines. This is sometimes discovered when too late, to 

 attend a rupture of the distended bowels through the peritonaeum (Vide Book I. 

 page 46), when the protruded gut mortifies (as is found after death) in conse- 

 quence of strangulation. After this, the pain seems to subside, and the ani- 

 mal dies quietly. The ruin that has taken place is ordy told on dissection. 

 Yet do most ignorant persons pronounce horses still alive to have a "twist in 

 the guts," and stranger still, they prescribe a remedy for it, although it is in- 

 curable. The ears act also as a good barometer, when inflammation of the 

 kidneys may be apprehended, or inllammation of the bladder is more than sus- 

 :>ected, ou account of the difficulty evinced by the patient in passing it.-, urine. 

 !f the water come off high-coloured, it i.s a sure sign of inflammation, which \i 

 .•"urther corroborated by cold ears ; if of its natural colour, the ears wiJJ be 



