MANNER OF TIIE PATIENT. 9^ 



warm, and t!\e difliculty in staling is occasioned by the hard distended gut 

 pressing upon the ureters and neck of the bladder: procuring a good stool or 

 two, or a clyster, then restores the functions of the bladder. 



The earliest symptom observable in his manner, is when the horse luok« 

 round at his flanks occasionally, whisking his tail at intervals ; he looks at 

 the attendant, if there be any breed in him, seeming to implore help, lie 

 stamps with his hind feet alternately on the ground, sometimes striking at his 

 belly. As the pain increases, these symptoms are oftener repeated, and with 

 more vehemence; he gathers his legs under him, as if preparing to lie down; 

 which he at length eflects, rolling about in the stall and getting up again re- 

 peatedly. It may here be remarked, that this roUing on the back is well cal- 

 culated for affording temporary ease to the bowels ; but should inflammation 

 have already attacked these, or at the kidneys, this rolling on his back would 

 but increase the pain of the animal, and his jumping up instantly upon his 

 legs, as if the spur or whip had been applied, goes to prove the existence of 

 inflammation at one or the other viscus. 



Cure. Too much care can not be exercised in ascertaining the precise na- 

 ture and amount of the disease; for, in error in this respect resides extreme 

 danger of life, which is too often sacrificed to precipitancy, to ignorarice, and 

 presumption. As soon as a horse is pronounced "ill of the colic," the atten- 

 dants, without investigation, proceed to give "something to do him good;" 

 which is ever of the stimulating class of domestic remedies. Warm ale, with 

 ginger, peppermint water, gin and water, whiskey and pepper, are the com- 

 mon popular remedies usually applied in this case; and, provided the disorder 

 be really flatulent colic, relief from the pain must follow the exhibition of either 

 one or the other. Frequently, however, it happens, that the doing good is 

 carried too far, and inflammation is thus superinduced, if it do not already 

 prevail. By such persons every internal pain is pronounced " tJie colic ;" and 

 they all conclude that what has removed it once will remove it again, without 

 being certain that it is the same disorder — as they do, that whatever is good 

 in small quantities must needs be more so in larger ones. But I have already 

 observed, that the removal of umbilical affections, whether flatulent or inflam- 

 matory, by rough, harsh, or protracted means, scarcely ever fails to produce 

 the other concouiitant disease, and the inflammatory symptoms no sooner sub- 

 side, than the jaded vessels contract spasmodic affections, as do also the con- 

 tinuance of flatulency, and some of the means of curing it superinduce inflam- 

 matory symptoms. 



In whatever shape the horse is attacked with those disorders, the first and 

 most obvious duty is the employment of clysters, to be repeated at short in- 

 tervals, with this single variation ; viz. in cases of relaxation, where the ani- 

 mal is already purged, the clyster is to consist of simple water-gruel only; but 

 when the patient's bowels are overloaded with hardened dung, the addition 

 of salts, as prescribed at page 92, will be found most effectual. In the ab- 

 sence of Epsom salts (for no time must be lost), a handful of common culi- 

 nary salt may be employed, in the quantity of four or five ounces. Back- 

 raking, too, should be assiduously applied, when the body is in this state, as 

 recommended in the case of inflammation at p. 91, with the laxative 

 drench prescribed at the same page, or the simple salad or castor oil in default 

 thereof 



In oidinary cases, when the attack is not of the most violent kind of either 

 description of colic, that is to say, when neither purging nor constip:*tioc 

 j^revail extremely, let the following be given. 



10* 



