328 DISEASES OF THE INTESTINES. 



forms the principal substance of the gut. We have evidence 

 of this when we come to slit open an enteritic intestine : 

 although the exterior looks as red as scarlet, the interior is 

 found to be hardly flushed. And even the aspect of the 

 exterior is likewise illusive ; for, if we now strip off the ex- 

 ternal or peritoneal coat, we shall discover that the redness 

 is underneath, the raised membrane being in itself trans- 

 lucent, with only a red blood-vessel to be seen here and 

 there, instead of such crowds of them as appear in the 

 muscular tunic. 



The Symptoms of enteritis are, very many of them, so 

 far as regards the expression of suffering, the same as are 

 present in spasmodic colic. Indeed, it frequently occurs 

 that inflammation and spasms are combined ; though when- 

 ever inflammation by itself is present, in some stages it 

 seems hardly less painful than the paroxysms of spasmodic 

 colic. Want of appetite, dulness, and feverishness, com- 

 monly usher in an attack of enteritis. Should the disease, 

 however, set in suddenly, still, it rarely manifests itself with 

 the same precipitousness as colic. As soon as inflammation 

 has taken hold, spasm, though not constant, may on occa- 

 sions seize the bowel as well ; and this must tend, for the 

 moment, greatly to augment the pain. As in colic, there- 

 fore, the horse paws and stamps the ground; strikes his 

 belly ; cringes his body ; makes feints to lie down ; lies down ; 

 rolls, and, perhaps, upon his back ; rises again ; casts a 

 dolorous look at his flank ; pants, and blows, and sweats 

 from pain. In some cases, pawing with one fore foot is so 

 prominent a symptom that the horse will stand with his 

 head directed into one corner of his box, and do nothing else 

 but incessantly keep pawing the ground for hours together; 

 having all the while a most anxious expression of i)ain in 

 his eye ; casting, ever and anon, doleful retrospects at his 

 flank. His belly is tense, and painful to pressure, to- 

 wards the flanks drawn up ; and nothing is voided save a 

 few hard, angular, dark-coloured dung-balls, and they com- 

 monly at the commencement of the attack. 



In enteritis there is not that interval of quietude orremis- 



