326 E-\T1:K1T1S. 



mouth will be hot, and the nose red. The animal will soon express the 

 most dreadful pain by pa^\dng, striking at his belly, looking wildly at his 

 flanks, groaning, and rolUng. The pulse will be quickened and wiry ; 

 the ears and legs cold ; the belly tender, and sometimes hot ; the breath- 

 ing quickened ; the bowels costive ; and the animal becoming rapidly and 

 fearfully weak. 



The reader will probably here recur to the sketch given in page 323 of 

 the distinction between spasmodic coUc and inflammation of the bowels, 

 or enteritis. 



The horse paws and stamps as in colic, but without the intervals of 

 ease that occur in that disease. The pulse also is far quicker than in 

 colic. The breathing is more hurried, and the indication of suffering 

 more e\adent. ' The next stage,' in the graphic language of Mr. Percivall 

 in his Hippopathology, ' borders on delirium. The eye acquires a wild, 

 haggard, unnatural stare — the pupil dilates — his heedless and dreadful 

 throes render approach to him quite perilous. He is 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 torments, he stands quiet, as 

 though every pain had left him, and he were going to recover. His 

 breathing becomes tranquilhsed — his pulse sunk beyond all perception — 

 liis 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 dead-like feel. The 

 mouth feels deadly chill ; the hps drop pendulous ; and the eye seemg 

 unconscious of objects. In fine, death, not recovery, is at hand. Moi-tifi- 

 cation has seized the inflamed bowel — pain can no longer be felt in that 

 which a few minutes ago was the seat of exquisite suffering. He again 

 becomes convulsed, and in a few more struggles less ^dolent than the 

 former he expii'es.' The course of the disease, fortunately for the sufferings 

 of the poor beasts afflicted with it, is a short one ; death may supervene 

 in forty-eight, twenty-four, or even twelve hours — it may be considered 

 the most fatal disease of the horse. 



The treatment of inflammation of the bowels, like that of the lungs, 

 should be prompt and energetic. The fii-st and most powerful means of 

 cure "vvill be bleeding. From six to eight or ten quarts of blood, in fact as 

 much as the horse can bear, should be abstracted as soon as possible. The 

 speedy weakness that accompanies this disease should not deter from 

 bleeding largely. The weakness is the consequence of violent inflamma- 

 tion of these parts ; and if that inflammation is subdued by the loss of 

 blood, the weakness will disappear. The bleeding should be effected on 

 the first appearance of the disease, for there is no malady that more 

 quickly runs it course. 



A full dose ( 3 i. to 3 ij. of opium) should immediately follow the bleeding; 

 this may be repeated every four or five hours if necessary, but, considering 

 the irritable state of the intestines at this period, purgatives should not be 

 given. After the patient has somewhat recovered we may however give a 

 small dose of oil. Back-raking, and injections, consisting of warm watei' 

 or very thin gruel, should be early resorted to ; and too much fluid can 

 scai'cely be thrown up. If the common ox-bladder and pipe is used, it 

 should be frequently replenished ; but with Read's patent pump, already 

 referred to, sufficient may be injected to penetrate beyond the rectum, and 

 reach to the colon and CEecum, and dispose them to evacuate their contents. 

 Enemas of tobacco-smoke may be also administered. 



It will now be jarudent to endeavour to excite considerable external in- 

 flammation as near as possible to the seat of internal disease, and therefore 

 the whole of the belly should be blistered. In a well-marked case of this 

 disease, no time should be lost in ajiplying fomentations, but the bh'sfer at 



