ENTERITIS. 333 



Terminations. — Enteritis may end in resolution, or 

 rather in effusion. According to Hurtrel d^Arboval, it may 

 terminate in lisemorrhage. Its too common termination is 

 in gangrene or mortification : indeed, this is the inevitable 

 termination when the disease is the result either of stricture, 

 entanglement, or mechanical obstruction, unrelieved, of any 

 kind. The small intestines — in particular the jejunum 

 and ileum — are the common seat of the inflammcition, 

 when it has arisen without obstruction, or has followed 

 spasm. The affected parts exhibit various patchy shades of 

 redness, from the pink or scarlet to the purple, and even 

 black hue; the last indicating that the part has become 

 mortified, -as, indeed, its softness and rottenness of texture 

 satisfactorily demonstrate. This portion of the gut com- 

 monly contains air, and now and then exhibits, when cut 

 into, masses of dark-coloured congealed blood. At the same 

 time, it is common to see effusion of water into the abdo- 

 minal cavity. 



On occasions it happens, when the case prove protracted, 

 that the inflammation subsides, a passage becomes restored 

 per anum, and all appears to be going on well, save that 

 the animal evinces a difficulty of moving his limbs, his fore 

 ones in particular; and perhaps his legs swell from his re- 

 fusing to lie down. When this is the case, be very sus- 

 picious of the inflammation having, by metastasis^ settled in 

 the/ee/, (the fore ones most likely, though the hind ones may 

 be affected likewise,) and laminitis be the result. Such an un- 

 expected termination as this, has, before now, led ignorant or 

 fault-finding owners of horses to accuse the veterinarian, in 

 attendance on the case, of want of knowledge of his profes- 

 sion; with the gentle inuendo, that he had thought the disease 

 was in the bowels, when it had turned out to be in the/ee^/ 



MoRTinCATION MAY ENSUE IN EIGHT OR TEN HOURS. 



The case related at p. 330 warrants this conclusion. The 

 horse was attacked at half-past one o'clock in the morning ; 

 at half-past eight o'clock all convulsioii from pain had ceased 

 — he had become quite tranquil. This rapid and destructive 

 course of inflammation seated in the bowels must be borne 



