3-24 FLATULENT COLIC. 



P'ortunately, we are acquainted with several medioines that allay these 

 spasms ; and the disease often ceases almost as suddenly as it appeared. 

 Amongst these, perhaps the best is the tincture of opium and spirit of 

 nitric ether, given in doses of one ounce of the formei- with two ounces 

 of the latter, in a pint of warm water. Should the spasm not be relieved, 

 this may be repeated in two hours. If the attack proceed from the indi- 

 gestible nature of the food upon which the animal has been feeding, a 

 pint and a half of linseed oil may be given, half an hour after the first 

 dose. The belly should be well rubbed with a brush or hard msp of 

 straw. The rectum should be unloaded and clysters of wai-m water ad- 

 ministered. The patent syringe Avill here be exceedingly useful. A 

 clyster of tobacco-smoke may be thrown up as a last resort. In some 

 instances relief has been afforded by moving the animal about, but, if tliis 

 be adopted, he should never exceed a walk. In the majority of cases, 

 however, a loose box, well littered, in which he can lie down and roll 

 about, is very much more rational ti-eatment. 



Wlien relief has been obtained, the clothing of the horse should be 

 removed, his skin rubbed diy, and fresh and diy clothes substituted. He 

 should be well littered dowTi in a warm stable or box, and have bran 

 mashes and lulce-warm water for the two or three next days. 



Some persons give gin, or gin and popper, in cases of gripes. This 

 course of proceeding is, however, exceedingly objectionable. It may be 

 useful, or even suflB.cient, in ordinary cases of colic ; but if there should 

 be any inflammation, or tendency to inflammation, it cannot fail to be 

 highly injurious. 



FLATULENT COLIC. 



This is altogether a different disease from the former. It is not spasm 

 of the bowels, but inflation of them from the presence of gas emitted by 

 undigested food. Wliether collected in the stomach, or small or large 

 intestines, all kinds of vegetable matter are liable to ferment. In conse- 

 quence of this fermentation, gas is evolved to a greater or less extent — 

 perhaps to twenty or thii'ty times the bulk of the food. This may take 

 }3lace in the stomach ; and if so, the life of the horse is in immediate 

 danger, for, as will plainly appear from the account that has been given of 

 the oesophagus and upper oinfice of the stomach, the animal has no power 

 to expel this dangerous flatus by eructation. 



This extrication of gas usually takes place in the colon and caecum, and 

 the distension may be so great as to rupture eithei' the one or the other, 

 or sometimes to produce, death, -without either rupture or strangulation, 

 and that in the coiirse of from four to twenty-four hours. 



In some ill-conducted estabHshments, it is a highly dangerous disease, 

 and is especially fatal to horses of heavy draught. An overloaded stomach 

 is one cause of it, and pai-ticularly so when Avater is given either imme- 

 diately before or after a plentiful meal, or food to which the horse has not 

 been accustomed is given. 



The symptoms, according to Professor Stewart, are, ' the horse sud- 

 denly slackening his pace — preparing to lie down, or falling down as if 

 he were shot. In the stable he paws the ground with his fore feet, lies 

 down, rolls, starts up all at once, and throws himself down again with great 

 violence, looking AvistfuUy at his flanks, and making many fruitless attempts 

 to void his imne.' 



Hitherto the S}'Tnptoms are not much unlike spasmodic colic, but the 

 real character of the disease soon begins to develope itself. It is in one 

 of the large intestines, and the belly swells all round, but mostly on the 



