GASTROENTERITIS. 303 



sudden that the horse, saddled or harnessed to go out, experiences all at 

 once a remarkable heaving of the flanks, dilatation of the nostrils, depen- 

 dence or incurvation of the head, griping pains, partial tremors of the 

 muscles of the shoulder and stifle, staggering, sometimes squatting upon 

 the haunches or falling down, and reposing the head upon the ground. 

 Most horses cannot lie down ; many maintain the erect position evidently 

 with pain : others fear to move lest they fall. The vital powers seem to 

 concentrate themselves inwardly ; the skin becomes insensible ; the coat 

 loses its gloss, and turns dry and pen-feathered ;" prostration supervenes ; 

 the discharges are rare and scanty ; the dungballs small, dry, blackish, 

 and coated ; the urine, equally scanty, is at one time reddened, at another 

 limpid and crude, and not expelled without effort. Most horses, during 

 the height of their complaint, will at intervals grind their teeth; all 

 experience considerable heat under the foretop, across the whole parietal 

 region. 



The horses most pj'edisposed to sudden attacks of gastro-enteritis are, 

 the young, vigorous, sanguineous, and irritable ; in particular those over- 

 well fed in proportion to their work. 



Duration. — When rapid in its progress but simple in its form, present- 

 ing no other than symptoms of gastro-intestinal irritation and disordered 

 digestion, with little or no sympathetic re-action, it takes five or six days 

 to acquire its height. Debility then more undisguisedly shows itself; the 

 tongue becomes greatly more loaded and fuliginous ; the hind legs swell 

 more, and the fore ones begin to fill ; the hair comes out with the least 

 traction : at certain times of the day some experience dysentery ; in all 

 there is an exacerbation towards evening. 



The termination is by resolution, or by passing into the chronic form, 

 or, after a sharp conflict, by death. 



In another form, the symptoms, less intense, develop themselves, and 

 succeed one another more tardily ; indeed, in most cases, they are ushered 

 in after the same manner as all the phlegmasias. Some days before the 

 attack, the horse grows slack in going, insensibly loses his accustomed 

 gaiety, has no longer the same appetite, feeds tardily, sweats easily, stales 

 often ; passes hard, black, shining dung. After this, his appetite grows 

 worse ; he seeks to refresh his mouth by licking anything cold within his 

 reach ; he likes to plunge his nose into water, and as yet drinks freely ; 

 at length he refuses his corn and part of his hay, and prefers cold water; 

 and begins not to lie down. In the beginning, the diagnosis is uncertain : 

 it is only well characterised when the other symptoms have shown them- 

 selves and confirmed the attack. The symptoms are better marked in 

 the evening and during the night than in the morning or in the day : at 

 these times, besides such as are seen in a rapid attack, we have rejection 

 of all food ; either a pressing thirst or else a refusal of drink ; phlogosis ; 



