260 STRANGULATION OF THE INTESTINES. 



HAIK BALL. 



Hair balls are occasionally found in the stomach and intes- 

 tines of a horse, generally accumulating around a metallic nu- 

 cleus. There are several in the possession of the author where 

 a piece of iron is the nucleus, and one where a piece of coal 

 afforded the same basis. These balls occasion the same disor- 

 ders, preceded by the same symptoms, and followed by the same 

 results as the calculus. The animal may recover from a number 

 of attacks of colic, and die at last from the same cause. 



STKANGULATIOW OF THE INTESTINES. 



On examining horses after death from an attack of colic, the 

 small intestines are occasionally found tangled in a knot so as 

 to cause a complete obstruction in the passages. This gives 

 rise to colic pains, terminating in inflammation of the bowels 

 and death. The small intestines being but loosely attached by 

 the peritoneum, their outer covering, have free play in all direc- 

 tions, whence the tendency arises to these accidents ; for the 

 author believes them to spring from accidental rather than 

 natural causes. There may be a simple twisting, or the intes- 

 tine may be firmly tied into a knot. 



There is another species, called intro-susception, or intra-sus- 

 ception, which is a slipping of one portion of the intestines into, 

 or inside of, another portion, thus completely blocking up the 

 passage. There are no symptoms by which either of these 

 conditions may be known ; and such cases are therefore treated 

 as cases of ordinary colic, or of inflammation of the bowels, as 

 the case may be. Where, however, such a condition of the 

 parts exists, all treatment will be useless. 



