ENTERITIS. 329 



sion from suffering so remarkable in colic ; while the pulse 

 (instead of at one time being contracted to a thread, at 

 another relaxed, and in number all the time natural) is full 

 and firm in its beat, and from first to last accelerated, even 

 to a high degree — to double, and in the latter stages, even 

 treble its natural frequency. The continuance of his tortur- 

 ing pains drives the animal to a state not merely of extreme 

 restlessness, but of real distress : he is either pawing, or re- 

 peatedly lying down and rising again; or else he is walking 

 round his box, breathing hard, sighing, and, perhaps,, occa- 

 sionally snorting. At length, his respiration becomes hurried 

 and oppressed ; his nostrils widely dilated ; his countenance 

 painfully vigilant, expressive of his sufferings ; his body 

 bathed in sweat, at one time hot, at another cold, and occa- 

 sionally seized with tremor ; his tail erect and quivering ; 

 mouth hot and dry; and (as Mr.Atcherley, V.S.,Bridgenorth, 

 remarks) the tongue becomes ^^ peculiarly dry and coutracted,^^ 

 such as it does in no other inflammation. 



The last stage borders on delirium. The eye acquires a 

 wild, haggard, unnatural stare ; the pupil dilates : his heed- 

 less and dreadful throes render approach to him quite 

 perilous : in short, he has become an object not only of 

 compassion but of apprehension, and seems fast hurrying to 

 his end ; when, all at once, in the midst of agonising tor- 

 ments, he stands quiet, as though every pain had left him, 

 and he were going to recover. In this state, sometimes he 

 will make an attempt even to feed, and will drink fresh cold 

 water. His breathing becomes tranquillised ; his pulse sunk 

 ])eyond all perception ; his body bedewed with a cold clammy 

 sweat ; he is in a tremor from head to foot, and about the 

 legs and ears has even a death-like feel. The mouth, also, 

 feels deadly chill; the breath becomes tainted or absolutely 

 fetid ; the lips drop pendulous ; and the eye seems un- 

 conscious of objects. In fine, death, and not recovery, is at 

 hand. No dung has passed of any account. Mortification 

 has seized the inflamed bowel ; pain can no longer be felt in 

 that which but a few minutes ago was the seat of exquisite 

 suffering. Should the horse be down at this time, he may 



