XI] ORGANIC, FUNCTIONAL AND CONTAGIOUS DISEASES 145 



crushed oats and bran. Feed very carefully after 

 recovery, and give vegetable tonics. 



551. Colics. — Commonest disease horse is 

 heir to. 



Spasmodic Colic— Cause. — Change of food ; 

 feeding roots ; sudden change in surrounding 

 temperature ; severe purgatives, if not given 

 with a carminative ; pea straw ; raw potatoes ; 

 watering directly after feeding oats and other 

 grain. 



St/niptoms. — Pain comes on suddenly, horse 

 turns head to side, whisks tail, kicks at abdo- 

 men, throws himself about. Then quiet for a 

 while. Then pain again. Pulse up to 60 or 80 

 during attack, normal during intervals. Horse 

 tries to urinate. A good flow between attacks is 

 a sign of improvement. Ears and legs generally 

 normal. Generally eats between attacks. Passes 

 hard fasces. Diarrhoea is a bad sign. 



552. Difference Between Colic and Enteri- 

 tis. — It is very important that no mistake be 

 made between the two. 



Colic. 



Eye bright and clear ; 

 limbs and ears gener- 

 ally normal. 



Paroxysms of pain alter- 

 nate with freedom from 

 pain. 



Pressure on abdomen 

 pleases horse. Pulse 

 nearly normal, except 

 during paroxysms. 



Horse takes no trouble 

 to protect abdomen. 



Enteritis. 



Eye dull and bloodshot ; 

 limbs and ears cold. 



Pain continuous, which 

 may get a little easy 

 at times. 



Pressure on abdomen 

 causes pain. High 

 pulse, hard and wiry ; 

 is constant. 



Lies down and rises very 

 carefully. 



553. Treatment for Spasmodic Colic. — Give 

 carminative. Often gets well of own accord. If 

 pain bad, give 1 oz. chloral hydrate in 1 pt. 

 water, or a capsule. Give ether, brandy or 

 whisky. Do not give drastic purgatives, but a 

 laxative to clear tract. Backrake, and give 

 enema. Pass catheter in case bladder is very 

 full. If acidity of stomach, shown by horse lick- 

 ing wall, etc., give soda bicarbonate 1 oz. If no 

 acidity, ammonium carbonate 1 oz. Do not give 

 turpentine or strong purgative unless there is no 

 inflammation. Warm clothing. Allow horse to 

 roll on soft bed in a roomy box. If very severe, 

 put hot-water blankets on abdomen. Do not give 

 arecolene. 



554. Flatulent Colic. 



Cause— Fermenied foods ; sudden change of 

 food ; not masticating the food ; bad teeth ; bad 

 digestion ; inferior food, as sour or mouldy hay 

 or oats ; wind sucking. Is more serious than 

 spasmodic. 



Sr/m-ptoms. —Uneasiness, pawing, looking at 



side. Throws himself down and rolls. Pulse 



up, abdomen becomes larger and larger, due to 



tympanites. Great pain, cold sweats, shows 



T 



great anguish. Ears and legs may be cold. 

 Abdomen sounds resonant, like a drum. No 

 eructations through mouth, but gas passed per 

 rectum. Lies down more carefully, and pain is 

 more constant than in spasmodic colic. Escape 

 of gas per rectum is good sign. 



Treatment. — Act immediately. If bloated 

 badly, must not be allowed to throw himself 

 about. Give turpentine i oz. in capsule to arrest 

 formation of gas. Give cannabis indica. Give 

 chloral hydrate 1 oz. If no acidity of stomach, 

 give 1 oz. ammonium carbonate ; if acidity, give 

 soda bicarbonate. Pass catheter if bladder is 

 full. Backrake, and give warm water enema 

 every half-hour. If badly bloated, use trocar 

 {see Sec. 501) at once. If pulse very fast, give 

 aconite ; if only slightly bloated, give eserine 

 i gr., or arecolene i gr. If pulse is feeble, give 

 strychnine |-1 gr. Keep animal quiet in roomy 

 box stall, with good thick bedding. Afterwards, 

 feed sparingly for days. If tympany is very bad, 

 give the following: iron sulphate 1 oz., liquid 

 ammonia ^ oz., water 2 pts. 



555. Constipation, or Impaction Colic. 

 Cawse.— Overfeeding, not exercising enough. 



Paralysis of intestinal tract, indigestion, unsuit- 

 able food. 



Symptoms. — Uneasiness, looks to side, lies 

 down and gets up. Pain, but not so severe as in 

 other colics, seldom throws himself about. 

 Straining to evacuate. Anxious expression. 

 Pulse and temperature up. Any faeces passed 

 will be hard, or may be very loose. 



Treatment. — Remove cause. Give hypodermic 

 at once of arecolene i gr. and strychnine ^ gr. ; 

 repeat arecolene in half an hour up to 4 gr., 

 total until action. Give moderate exercise. Give 

 1 oz. chloral hydrate in capsule (great care must 

 be taken not to allow the chloral to touch the 

 horse's mouth, as it burns severely). Give aloes 

 ball, also cannabis indica. If no action in a few 

 hours, give linseed oil i pt. every half-hour. 

 Pass catheter. Give nux vomica tr. \ oz. in 

 water every two or three hours to increase action 

 of bowels. Watch for any bad effects on nerves 

 from the strychnine in the nux vomica, which 

 will be shown by twitching. This must not be 

 confounded with trembling of the muscles of the 

 shoulders produced by eserine. If pulse very 

 weak, give aconite. Never give opium or mor- 

 phine in any form of colic except diarrhoea. If 

 much tympany, see Sec. 554. 



556. Colic Due to Worms. 



Si/mptoms. — Generally in young horses. 

 Pains recurrent and not severe. 



Caw5f.— Generally chronic indigestion, un- 

 thrifty appearance, very anaemic. If obstruction, 

 pain will be acute and death quickly follow. 

 May be worms in the faeces. 



Treatment for Worms. — Bots : The common 

 bot is the larva of the gadfly (gastrophilus equi). 

 During autumn and winter expulsion is difficult, 



