SURGICAL TREATMENT OF COLICS 81 



veterinarian is thus deprived of a highly effectual cura- 

 tive expediment, any manipulation that will surmount 

 this obstacle would be an invaluable addition to the treat- 

 ment of many grave disorders. 



We need colonic flushing in animal therapy and we 

 need it badly. Fatalities amongst animals, sick with di- 

 gestive disorders, would be greatly reduced if we could 

 inject water into the colon of herbivora, as easily as into 

 that of the carnivora and of humans. Overcoming im- 

 pactions of the colon would then be a triviality. 



Our method of forcing water into the colon is not 

 perfect. We are still in need of a better instrument to 

 prevent reflux from straining, but we have shown to our 

 entire satisfaction that by patiently forcing water at a 

 temperature of 112° F. into the floating colon by means 

 of a hose and pump with the rectum packed with some 

 substance to prevent free reflux of the water, large quan- 

 tities can be passed into the colon. While the floating 

 colon is still full of feces not much headway can be 

 made, but when this is expelled a stream may be made 

 to flow forward through this gut and into the large colon. 

 Straining to expel the water injected cannot be entirely 

 controlled, but we have found that since all the water 

 injected is not successfully expelled by the patient in 

 these seizures, some will find its way into the colon if 

 the operation is persistently continued. 



We have found also that an animal narcotized with 

 drugs administered hypodermically or anesthetized with 

 chloroform will take large volumes of water by a little 

 patient forcing, and also that water at the proper tem- 

 perature, not too hot nor too cold, is less apt to cause 



