54 BUKEAU OF AlflMAL IXDU3TKY. 



sion of this mass. "S^^alking• exercise must oecasionall}' be given. If 

 this treatment is faithfully carried out from the start the majoritj^ of 

 cases will terminate favorabl3\ Where relief is not obtained inflam- 

 mation of the bowels ma}' ensue, and death follow from this cause. 



Constipation^ or costlveness. — ^This is often witnessed in the horse, 

 and particularly in the foal. Many colts die every year from failure 

 on the part of the attendant to note the condition of the bowels soon 

 after birth. Whenever the foal fails to pass any feces, and in partic- 

 ular if it presents an}' signs of colicky pains — straining, etc. — iinme- 

 diate attention must be given it. As a rule, it will only l)e necessary 

 to give a few injections of soapy water in the rectum and to introduce 

 the linger through the aims to break down any hardened mass of dung 

 found there. If this is not effective, a purgative must be given. Oils 

 are the best for these young animals, and preferably castor oil, giving 

 from 2 to -1 ounces. The foal should alwa}- s get the lirst of the moliier's 

 milk, as this milk, for a few days, possesses decided laxative properties. 

 If a mare, while suckling, is taking laudanum, morphine, atropia, or 

 similar medicines, the foa-1 should be fed during this time by hand and 

 the mare millicd upon the ground. Constipation in adult horses is 

 often the result of long feeding on dry, innuferitious food, deficiency of 

 intestinal secretions, scanty water supply, or lack of exercise. If the 

 case is not complicated with colicky s^-mptoms., a change to light, 

 sloppy diet,*linseed gruel or tea, with plenty of exercise, is all that is 

 required. If colic exists, a cathartic is needed. In very many instances 

 tiie con.-tipated condition of the bowels is due to lack of intestinal secre- 

 tions, and when so due, may be treated by giving fluid extract of bel- 

 ladonna three times a day in 2-dram doses, and handful doses daily of 

 Epsom salts in the 'feed. It is always best, when possible, to overcome 

 tills trouble by a change of diet rather than by the use of medicines. 

 For the relief of constipation such succulent foods as roots, grass, or 

 green forage arc recommcndGd. Silage, however, should be fed spar- 

 ingly, and not at all un.less it is in the very best condition. Moldy 

 siiago may cause fatal disease. 



Fcreign hodles {calouU (stojies) in the stomach). — There are probably 

 but few symptoms exhibited by the horse that will lead one to suspect 

 the presence of gastric calculi, and possibly none by which we can 

 unmistakably assert their presence. Stones in the stomach have been 

 most frequently found in millers' horses fed sweepings from the mill. 

 A depraved and capricious appetite is common in horses that have a 

 stone forming in their stomach. There is a disposition to eat the 

 woodwork of the stable, earth, and, in fact, almost any substance 

 within their reach. This symptom must not, however, be considered 

 as pathognomonic, since it is observed v/hen calculi are not present. 

 Occasional colics ma}' result from these "stomach stones," and when 

 these lodge at the outlet of the stomach they may give rise to symp- 



