194 DADliS VETERINARY MEDICINE AITI SURG EIll 



abdominal walls are rigidly contracted. In the commencemeut 

 of the malady, the pulse is usually hard and wiry, but varies aa 

 the disease progresses ; and the same is true of the respirations, 

 viz. : they are accelerated and laborious. The patient occasionally 

 suffers much pain in consequence of retention of urine and over- 

 disteusion of the bladder, which is the result of sympathetic spasm 

 in the region of the neck of the bladder. Such are the uotabl** 

 symptoms of spasmodic colic. 



Treatment. — The disease being of a spasmodic character, requires 

 the exhibition of medicines of an antispasmodic character, such aa 

 assaf<=^tida, lobelia, sulphuric ether, and copious enemas of warm 

 water, or an infusion of lobelia. The latter is the most valuable 

 antispasmodic now in use. Should the case, however, be a des- 

 perate one, I advise the reader to follow the treatment indicated 

 in the following ease, taken from my note-book : 



On making an examination of the animal, the following symp- 

 toms were observed: Pulse, very strong and wiry, averaging 

 twentv beats above the natural standard : membranes of the mouthy 

 nose, and eyes very \ ascular, or highly reddened ; the surface of 

 the body was bedewed, in patches, with perspiration ; there ap- 

 peared to be much rigidity of the muscles, especially in the ab- 

 dominal region. All at once the animal would throw himself 

 violently on the floor, and throw his limbs about in the most wild 

 and reckless manner. He would assume all sorts of positions, yet 

 seemed to obtain most ease when flat on his back; still, if closely 

 approached oi touched, he would kick and strike with fury, as if 

 he were intent on mischief. In short, the horse cut up such an- 

 tics that it was almost impossible to approach him; yet I finally 

 succeeded in delivering an antispasmodic drench while the animal 

 lay on his back, in which position I also gave an enema, composed 

 3f warm water and lobelia. 



The animal kept growing more restive and uncontrollable, till, 

 at last. It became very evident that convulsions had set in. The 

 breathing had become fearfully laborious and rapid; his noitrils 

 were dilated to their utmost capacity ; the sight had become so 

 afi'ected, through temporary paralysis of the optic ner\ e, that tem- 

 porary blindness had set in. 



There seemed to be little hope for the animal, and, fearing that 

 he might either kill himself by violence, or injure those in attend- 

 »nce, I concluded tc chloroform him, and thus put a stop to hii 



