56 COLICS AND THEIR TREATMENT 



In animal patients we may actually be thankful to be 

 rid of this group of subjective symptoms. In truth we 

 are at no loss whatever in diagnosing the seat of ab- 

 dominal pain for want of them. I am certain after many 

 observations covering a good many years amongst ani- 

 mals sick with colics that the objective symptoms pre- 

 sented by animals if properly studied and if properly 

 grouped and then coupled with the probable cause can be 

 depended upon as fairly diagnostic of special conditions 

 even in the early stages of painful abdominal diseases. 

 And it is largely in this direction we must turn our at- 

 tention if we would arrive at that "refinement of diag- 

 nosis" upon which all sound treatment must be based. 



In short we are now face to face with the problem of 

 differentiating as to exact location and cause of pain in 

 the alimentary canal within the abdomen. Pain in the 

 stomach should be differentiated from pain in the colon, 

 and either should be distinguished from pain in the small 

 bowels, and so on, at a very early stage of the colic. 

 With these difficulties out of the way the treatment of 

 colics would at once be simplified into a more effectual 

 attack upon the actual trouble. And while I admit that 

 perfection in making these differentiations need not be 

 expected it is only by developing a more inquisitive dis- 

 position toward these phenomena that we may ever hope 

 to become sufficiently proficient to bring our treatment 

 of intestinal obstruction up to a worthy standard of 

 excellence. 



Inspection and Palpation 



In addition to the manifestations of pain there are 

 other valuable resources upon which one may rely. In- 



